Olga Tokarczuk, born in Sulechów in 1962, a Polish Nobel laureate, has long used bold ideas to challenge how Europe understands itself. At the opening of the CCCB in Barcelona she appeared with a distinctive, modern look that sparked conversation. Some compared her hairstyle to a plica polonica, a historical, chaotic mass of hair that has existed since the 17th century. Across her work, Tokarczuk weaves together disparate strands of life—peasants, nobles, and everyone caught between places they call home. She speaks of the past to shape today through polyphonic narratives that feel like a collection of found stories, reassembled into new forms.
She has explored these themes before in her best known novel Travelers, also published as Cos in Catalan, and now revisits them in an ambitious long work, The Books of Jacob (Anagrama). The book, first released in 2014, runs to over a thousand pages, with the pages numbered in reverse order. Its tree-like structure centers on Jacob Frank, a fictional yet vividly realized figure who moves through the Ottoman and Habsburg empires, meeting a multitude of memorable characters. Tokarczuk has explained that she first encountered Jacob and was struck by how his captivating story had faded from memory. The author sought to reveal how people from distant lands negotiated with their languages and traditions to create a new European society. The narrative also opens a broader discussion of Polish Jews beyond the Holocaust, a topic she considers essential to revisit.
Traveling Poles
For Tokarczuk the novel becomes a way to reveal the landscapes the protagonist traverses, landscapes that belong, in part, to present-day Ukraine. They also reflect the author’s family history, as her own ancestors were compelled to leave after the First World War. Her grandmother carried multiple passports, a reminder that borders and identities can shift suddenly. The underlying tension between nations has long lived in Polish memory. She notes the ongoing proximity and shared border with Ukraine, highlighting how regional histories entwine with personal ones.
Literature, art, and social life
Tokarczuk is celebrated as a Nobel laureate who remains deeply engaged with environmentalism, animal rights, feminism, and LGBTQ+ rights. Her work places her at the center of political conversations, particularly as far-right movements gain traction in parts of Europe. Adaptations of her novels for cinema have sparked intense public debate, including films that critics say challenge religious and national narratives. One such adaptation within Europe drew strong reactions, illustrating how art can provoke dialogue about values and power. The discourse around these films mirrors broader social tensions, from national politics to regional policies. The writer has observed that literature and art influence social life through rich, nuanced modes of communication. For creative minds, the sense that ideas float above daily concerns is part of the work itself.
Tokarczuk’s public stance emphasizes European unity and openness. Seen as a defender of Europeanism, she speaks as someone who has outgrown narrow nationalism. She argues for a hopeful outlook grounded in psychological well-being, sometimes joking about Pollyanna-like optimism. From her perspective as a Polish citizen, she acknowledges the mixed feelings about governmental policies toward the European Union. Many in Poland worry about the direction of these policies in a changing world, yet she remains convinced that cooperation across borders is essential for facing climate change, migration, and political radicalization. Her message is not a retreat into sentiment but a call to engage with complexity and stay committed to collective progress.