Renia’s Diary

At a moment when basic agreement over simple truths has become a political battleground and history a weapon, the publication of the book, Renia’s Diary, offers a reminder of the power of bearing witness * New York Times
Extraordinary… It is a privilege to read these pages, and an impertinence to review them. Renia Spiegel was an astonishingly brave girl who developed into a remarkable young woman. (5 review) * Daily Telegraph *
Astonishing… A new invaluable contribution to Holocaust literature * Smithsonian Magazine *
It is as though the murderous machine of Hitler’s vision and the barbarity being brought upon her people couldn’t silence the integrity of her voice… Renia emerges as a poet of real lyricism and emotional heft, which makes her demise all the more tragic * Irish Independent *
Recall[s] moments of intense happiness in the gathering gloom * Times *
A work which shows us that the worst atrocities of the twentieth century did not happen overnight, they happened slowly and painfully against the backdrop of the lives and loves of ordinary people – Andrew McMillan, author of physical and playtime
Simultaneously devastating and astounding… incredible * Stylist *
A terribly poignant work that conveys the brutal reality of the time through intimate connection with a young person * Kirkus Review *
Moving [and] riveting… this epic, layered story of survival serves as an important Holocaust document * Publishers Weekly *

Renia Spiegel (Author)

Renia Spiegel was born in eastern Poland in 1924. In January 1939 she began to write a diary. When war broke out she and her sister were living in Przemysl with her grandparents. Separated from her mother by the war, the next few years saw her living under first Soviet, then Nazi occupation, and the creation of the ghetto. In the summer of 1942, Renia was forced into hiding to escape the liquidation of the ghetto. A few days later, her hiding place was discovered and she was shot; she was just eighteen.

Marta Dziurosz (Translator)

Marta Dziurosz is a Polish literary translator and interpreter, and a literary curator. She was Free Word Centre’s Translator in Residence 2015-16 and is a member of the Translators Association committee. Her translations and other writing have been widely published, and she is a finalist of the 2019 Jasmine Awards.

Anna Blasiak (Translator)

Anna Blasiak is a poet, translator and literature co-ordinator of the European Literature Network. She has translated over forty books from English into Polish and some fiction and poetry from Polish into English. In addition to her book-length translations, her work has been published in Best European Fiction 2015. Anna writes poetry in Polish and in English. She has worked in museums and a radio station, run magazines, written on art, film and theatre.

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