A Silesian women's epic - Usedom Literature Prize winner Joanna Bator

Joanna Bator in a moderated reading and in conversation with Lisa Palmes (moderator and translator of the novel) about her novel "Bitternis"

Joanna Bator's novel unfolds the deep interweaving of German and Polish history like a magnificent mosaic. Four generations of women are in the spotlight, marked by the blows of history and the world of men. Great-grandmother Berta, grandmother Barbara and mother Violetta carry "unwanted bellies" as a family tradition, while daughter Kalina tries to free herself from these family tragedies. A veritable feast of storytelling with the 2017 Usedom Literature Prize winner.

Photo: Geert Maciejewski