The Debrief

In this episode of The Debrief, we speak to one of Poland’s top ornithologists about eggs and their symbolism in this time of Easter.

Host John Beauchamp speaks to Professor Piotr Tryjanowski from the Poznań University of Life Sciences about Easter eggs... and more!

In this week’s review:

• Poland to pump EUR 6.5 bln into Covid-stricken sectors
• Number of farms in Poland drops by 13 pct over decade
• Poland loses 2-1 to England at Wembley in World Cup qualifier

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

Acclaimed Polish author Olga Tokarczuk, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature and a whole string of other accolades, is to have her latest book released in English towards the end of 2021.

The Books of Jacob is one of the author’s most celebrated works, yet took years to translate in English and, more importantly, get published.

Jennifer Croft, one of Olga Tokarczuk’s translators who undertook the mammoth task of translating the Books of Jacob, joins host John Beauchamp for a chat from her home in Los Angeles.

In this week’s review:

• Poland imposes tougher pandemic measures
• Poles’ savings enough to finance Poland’s budget for two years
• Renowned Polish poet Adam Zagajewski dies at 75

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

Pssst! If you want to find out more about Jennifer’s new book click here!

A new book has been published by Central European University Press which is a personal take on how reporting on Poland by (chiefly) the British press has a lot to be desired.

Journalist and author Jo Harper speaks to host John Beauchamp about the other side of Polish politics which is so under-represented in the English-language press.

In this week’s review:

• Polish reporter ‘beaten and severely injured’ by security forces in Myanmar
• Kasprowy Wierch, one of Europe’s oldest cable cars, turns 85
• February’s core inflation rate at 3.7 pct - central bank

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

The world’s first robotic sculpture to be controlled by a digital computer has gone on display at Warsaw’s Zachęta art gallery. The ‘Senster’, a portmanteau of ‘sensual’ and ‘monster’, was created in the late 1960s by the cybernetic art sculptor Edward Ihnatowicz.

In this bonus uncut interview, Edward’s son Richard Ihnatowicz talks to host John Beauchamp about his father’s work surrounding the making of the Senster.

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

The ‘Senster’, one of the world’s first robotic sculptures to be controlled by a digital computer, has gone on display at Warsaw’s Zachęta art gallery.

A portmanteau of ‘sensual’ and ‘monster’, the robot was created in the late 1960s by the cybernetic art sculptor Edward Ihnatowicz. It was lost and then rediscovered and lovingly restored at Kraków’s AGH University of Science and Technology.

In the show, host John Beauchamp talks to research fellow at AGH Dr Anna Olszewska about the Senster. Also check out our bonus episode in your feed for an uncut conversation with the inventor’s son Richard Ihnatowicz.

In this week’s review:

• British mutation accounts for 30 percent of Poland’s Covid infections
• More than 250,000 Ukrainians in Poland hold residency permits
• Poland’s energy transition to cost EUR 355 billion by 2040
• Hammer-throwing champ joins list of ‘inspirational women’ after being turned into Shero Barbie doll

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

In this episode of The Debrief, we get the inside info from Mabion, a Polish biotech firm which has teamed up with Novavax in the US to produce Covid vaccines.

Production of such a vaccine could be a real boon for the Polish biotech sector, host John Beauchamp hears from Mabion SA board member Adam Pietruszkiewicz in this week’s interview.

In this week’s review:

• Polish MFA monitoring case of Pole doing 14 years in Russian labour camp
• Over 70% of Polish are women financially independent
• Mystery 200-year-old crypt found by builders
• Matejko to be first-ever Polish artist exhibited at London’s National Gallery

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

This week saw Poland’s Depression Awareness day, with social media buzzing with people’s stories about how they live with depression or how they managed to overcome their problems.

Luckily spring is now fast biting at the heels of winter, and host John Beauchamp speaks to Poland’s top stork expert Professor Piotr Tryjanowski from the Poznań University of Life Sciences about white storks, one of Poland’s most popular birds, and also how bird therapy can get you through those winter blues.

In this week’s review:

• Births hit record low during pandemic
• Kraków ranked fifth greenest city in the world
• Polish firms eager to invest in environmental projects

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

The move to cement the polonaise in world culture is the branchild of Romana Agnel, the artistic director of the Cracovia Danza court ballet company.

In the show, host John Beauchamp catches up with Romana while in the studio we have Aleksander Laskowski from the Chopin Institute.

In this week’s review:

• Kraków start-up teams up with US nuclear firm to fly to the moon and extract rare energy isotope
• English Heritage issues plea for memories of elite Polish unit that trained at UK stately home during WWII
• Poland’s first ever Banksy exhibition opens in Warsaw
• Sugar tax hits soft drink sales

Many thanks to NIFC / The Chopin Institute for allowing us to use a number of recordings from their YouTube channel. You can find the channel here.

As Poland weathers its first proper winter in years with the mercury dropping to over -20 degrees Celsius and snowfall covering much of the country, we turn our attention towards the climate in general.

Host John Beauchamp talks to Greenpeace Poland’s Joanna Flisowska about Poland’s energy mix and whether renewable energy is really worth it economically.

In the review this week:

• Poland warns of ‘appropriate steps’ after Russia expels diplomat for supporting ‘illegal protests’ over jailing of Alexei Navalny
• Poland has second biggest decline in smokers in EU
• Largest Gothic altar in the world finally revealed after five years painstaking renovation
• Poland among EU leaders in cumulative economic growth in past two years

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!

Museums and galleries are now open again across the country, including the reopening of the Gallery of Ancient Art at the National Museum in Warsaw

With that in mind, host John Beauchamp speaks to Chief Curator at Warsaw’s Museum of Modern Art, Sebastian Cichocki, about how the gallery fared during lockdown and what its plans are now that is open to the public as of Friday February 5.

In this week’s review:

• After a decade, leading collection on ancient world reopens to the public
• Vet builds village for rescued dogs
• Local fury as officials plan to build housing estate on site of former POW camp
• Situation of micro- and small businesses worsens in 2020

Why not drop me a line? You can get in touch with the show by writing to [email protected], and please remember to share, like and subscribe to The Debrief!