Papers of Janina Bauman

Description

Papers relating to the professional career of Janina Bauman (JB);writer and first wife of Zygmunt Bauman. Features papers relating to:


1) Published works by Janina Bauman (JB)

2) Other works by/associated with JB

3) Reference and research of JB

4) Correspondence of JB

5) Financial and Legal Papers of JB

6) Reviews of works by JB

7) Personal papers of JB

Biography or history

Janina Bauman (1926-2009), born Janina Lewinson to a Jewish family in Poland, was a writer, known mainly for her autobiographical works. The most widely known among these are her books ‘Winter in the Morning: A young Girl’s Life in a Jewish ghetto’ (1986) and ‘A Dream of Belonging,’ (1988), telling the story of her life in post-war Poland. Educated at the Academy of Social and Political Sciences in Warsaw (1948- 50) she went on to study for MA Phil (Aesthetics) at the University of Warsaw (1959). During this time she met and married (1948) Zygmunt Bauman, an army officer at that time, to later become a renowned sociologist. For approximately 20 years, Janina Bauman worked in the Polish film industry as script editor, translator (from French and Russian to Polish) and researcher (writing a report on the impact of film on children in 1957). As a result of the political pressures in Poland she and her husband were forced to leave Poland. With their 3 daughters, they emigrated to
Israel where she used her language skills while working in the library of a major daily newspaper. In 1971 they moved to Leeds. Here, Janina gained a post-graduate diploma in Librarianship and worked in one of the City’s high schools (John Smeaton Community High School; 1974-79). Both her autobiographical novels were published in the 1980’s by Virago Press. The books have author’s own or authorized translations to Polish. ‘Winter in the morning’ appeared also in German, Dutch, Swedish, Hebrew, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian and Danish, among others. Janina was invited to speak about her war-time and post-war experiences to various audiences around Europe. During the 1990s she wrote short stories and began researching the experience of European Gypsies [Roma]. In the latter work she focused on Roma’s centuries-long persecution and on their fate in the Holocaust. Her article, ‘Demons of Other People's Fear: The Plight of the Gypsies’ was published in 1998. Following her
death in 2009, the Janina Bauman Prize was established by the Bauman Institute in 2011.

Provenance

Mostly filed as per original in folders. Where original folder names exist, these have been transcribed onto new folders.

System of arrangement

For access purposes, the Archivist has arranged original folders into series.

Access and usage

Reproduction

Access

This collection is subject to various access conditions. Please see individual catalogue descriptions for further details on access.

This collection contains material that is less than 30 years old and may contain sensitive information.


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Some parts of this collection have not been listed in detail and the content may be protected under the Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation. Please consult the relevant part of the catalogue for specific details. Where a detailed record does not exist, please contact Special Collections. Upon receipt of your request, a member of the team will discuss your requirements with you and review relevant material accordingly

Material in this collection may remain in copyright but further details are unknown. Photocopies or digital images can only be supplied by the Library for research or private study. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain the copyright holder's permission to reproduce for any other purpose. Guidance is available for tracing copyright status and ownership.

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