Charakterystyka „Bibliofilskiej edycji dzieł Henryka Sienkiewicza”

Abstract

This article presents the characteristics of the bibliophile series of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s works, which has been published since 1996 by Wydawnictwo Instytutu Teologicznego Księży Misjonarzy in Cracow (St Vincent a Paulo Missionary Fathers’ Theological Institute), in cooperation with the Polish Henryk Sienkiewicz Association in Lublin. The book series, edited by Halina Kosętka, Halina Ludorowska, Lech Ludorowski and Father Wacław Piszczek, so far consists of eight volumes: Pójdźmy za Nim! (Let Us Follow Him, 1996), Quo vadis? (1996), Na polu chwały (On the Field of Glory, 1998), Ogniem i mieczem (With Fire and Sword, 2000), Krzyżacy (The Teutonic Knights, 2000), W pustyni i w puszczy (In Desert and Wilderness, 2001), Pan Wołodyjowski (Fire in the Steppe, 2002), and Dramaty (Dramas, 2005). This paper contains detailed descriptions of all volumes, including the size, page layout, graphic design, and the list of innovative, original illustrations by Father Wacław Piszczek. It has been noticed that the series editors’ undoubted achievement is improvement of the text and recreation of the author’s original idea of text division: the segmentation into chapters and volumes. All texts have been based on the 1948–1951 collected edition of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s Works, edited by Julian Krzyżanowski. Another noticeable feature of the series is the editors’ thoroughness and care for the reader, reflected in the attachment of a difficult words glossary. The article puts special emphasis on the series’ editorial values, which can serve as a model of how to produce an undistorted book edition, and how to enrich it with a proper foreword or afterword, editorial notes, text commentaries and glossaries.