Literatura polska na półce chińskiego czytelnika .......... 269

POLISH LITERATURE ON THE SHELF OF THE CHINESE READER

In his memories from the Chinese-Japanese air-warfare front, Witold Urbanowicz recounts his meeting in 1943 with “a very elderly Chinese gentleman” who surprised him with his good knowledge of Polish history and literature. What was the source of such knowledge for that Chinese man? Which Polish writings were available in China at that time? What sparked an interest in Polish literature among Chinese readers? When does it date from and what was its impact on the local writers of literature? What items of Polish literature can be found nowadays on bookstore shelves in Asia? This article is an attempt to answer the foregoing and similar questions.