The Battle of Literature. Scars/Marta Tomczok/ Maja Chitro/PJM

How do you talk about an environmental disaster whose effects have remained silent for decades? During the meeting with Marta Tomczok we will talk about the book “Scars” — a poignant story about memory, trauma and life in the shadow of industrial pollution. The starting point for the discussion will be a huge interest in the series “Lead Children”, which drew the attention of the public to the drama of the youngest, growing up in a poisoned environment. Can cultural texts restore the memory of the experiences of entire communities? The meeting will also be an opportunity to talk about the social consequences of environmental violence, local memory and why these stories resonate more strongly today than ever before.

Marta Tomczok — historian of literature, is currently engaged in research on the memory of heavy industry. Collects and archives spoken stories of mining workers. She is also interested in the environmental and social consequences of industrialization. Scholar of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship, laureate of competitions of the National Science Center, regional representative of the European Society for Environmental History. He works at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Silesia in Katowice. Author and co-author of several books, including the work “Scars. Landscapes by Industry”.