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The Polish Bridget Jones captivates British readers. Who is Ania Bas?

10.07.2024 15:45
Ania Bas, a Polish writer living in England, has published her debut novel "Odd Hours," which has received significant acclaim in the UK.
Ania Bas
Ania BasFoto: Ahley Carr/mat. wydawcy

Though she initially went to England for a year of research, she has now lived there for twenty years, working in the field of social arts. In an interview with PAP, she revealed the intricacies of her literary journey and life in exile.

Her book, compared to the works of Dorota Masłowska and the character Bridget Jones, tells the story of Gosia Golab, a protagonist with immigrant roots living between cultures.

„I wanted to create a female character who is not nice and pleasant. I feel that women in literature are expected to be likable, and if they have any edge, it is hidden at least until halfway through the novel. Female characters are still forgiven much less than their male counterparts. When a man is obnoxious, he is described as a rebel, and we give him a chance. Women, on the other hand, are judged much more harshly," explains the author in an interview with Anna Kruszyńska from PAP.

Bas emphasizes that more is expected from women in literature than from men, and her heroine deliberately defies this stereotype. The author values writing in English, even though it is not her first language, and is already working on her next novel.

Source: PAP

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