Adaptacje biografi i i twórczości Josepha Conrada w kulturze współczesnej

Adaptations seem to be ubiquitous in contemporary culture. The present monograph touches upon the subject of widely understood adaptations in relation to Joseph Conrad’s life and work. Most definitions of adaptation operate on the assumption that it is a literary work which constitutes the seed of an adaptation. The author argues, however, that biographies of writers have also become fully-fledged cultural texts and, similarly to literary texts, may be subject to adaptation. The biography of Joseph Conrad-Korzeniowski constitutes rich adaptation material, in which sensational plots overlap with adventures, and dramatic events (including love stories) interweave with comedic ones. It comes as no surprise, then, that many artists have drawn on this arsenal of motifs, have tapped into this arsenal of motifs, choosing their favorite episodes and fleshing them out or dramatizing them to transform them in their works. The monograph constitutes an analysis of the transformation of Conrad’s figure (and his works) by contemporary artists within five categories: graphic novels (Heart of Darkness. A Graphic Novel by C. Anyango and D.Z. Mairowitz, Congo by T. Tirabosco and Ch. Perrissin, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness by P. Kuper and Au coeur des ténèbres by S. Miquel and L. Godart), comic books (The Amazing Tales by J. Conrad, Ł. Godlewski and M. Jasiński), literary appropriations (Heart of Darkness by J. Dukaj, Dżozef by J. Małecki, Condition by E. Rylski), theater plays (Conrad by I. Villqist, Wyspiański/Conrad by T. Man), film scripts and radio plays (Victory by H. Pinter). Finally, the volume discusses the presence of the figure of Conrad in the context of contemporary branding, as well as the factors conducive to building a strong “Conrad” brand in contemporary Polish culture. The conducted analyses demonstrate, in turn, that not only the writer’s works, but also his biography understood as a cultural text remains present in contemporary culture, constituting an attractive and abundant source of adaptation.