(born the 1st of March 1935 in Warsaw) – Polish poet, writer, author of song texts, journalist, translator, film critic, and a diplomat. Graduate of department of Philology of Polish University of Warsaw (1957). Apart from acting in the field of literature and media, in the years 1991-1995, Bryll was Poland’s ambassador in Ireland,. In the years 1974-1978 he was director of the Institute of Polish Culture in London. He is a member of the Association of Polish Writers. His texts of songs were sung, among others, by: 2 plus 1, Myslovitz, Skaldowie, Stan Borys, Marek Grechuta, Czesław Niemen, and Maryla Rodowicz.

(selected excerpts from interview)

WHO IS HE?

„Well, you know, I don’t know. I am not certain of that I am wonderful,,.(…)

Being part of a group and acting within a group

Once there was a rule, that we must survive as a group. That there are weaker of us and stronger of us. And even the weakest in a group at a given moment would turn up its saviour. Now, the essence is to eliminate a man from the group. Not because of what he may have done, but due to the fear that he may throw out myself. Now the essence it to throw away the individual. Group is needed for individual to survive. Rat race is not about to be the first one but to finish off others.

Respect for distinctness

I do not believe that all of us shall be the same. We shall recognize the same history, tradition… A kind of big Mc Donald’s is what is conceived out of it. People are different. Until they start learning one another, they will not come to understand, that the essence lies in distinctness, that history is different for everyone – there is no cosmopolitism, but ordinary imperialism.

Border is not a matter of border poles. It’s a question of natural existence of cultures. That can be felt, that is inside of a human being. Distinctness, but non-aggressive distinctness. That’s why one should set standards, so that there would be no aggression.

Values

In Poland the values have fallen into pieces, such as honour or integrity, as they used to say in the Prague district of Warsaw. If we do not know to abreact in any other different way, when we get hit in the face, then, we hurry on to hit someone else who is weaker than us for us to get some relief. This are the ethics of a slave and I fear that in Poland it is quite well pronounced. The journalists shall not write of certain topics, they fear them. In the past it was just the same, however there was a certain norm, which, if trespassed, then, the trespasser did not count in the society anymore. And nowadays, it seems that the society’s norm is that of a slave. It’s strange that in Poland the elite does not have respect for the right standards. Perhaps it’s because there is no longer the elite.

Time for a free time

A certain Irish plumber told me: „ I clean pipes and you are ambassador, and poetry is what keeps us alive”. We need to spend on work as much time so that family would have a decent living secured, and so that you may have time for free time. People, who take their own time away, for time free of work, are not worthy of your attention.