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Maria Halber / Aleksandra Kamińska / Agata Wnuk

As part of the residency, we want to use the work on Anouk Herman’s poetry collection as an opportunity to develop a sustainable and viable operation strategy at a time when the scope of our endeavours continues to grow.

The pretext for participating in the residency is the desire to publish a second book of poetry by acclaimed and award-winning author Anouk Herman, with the working title Silesian Gothic. The book would be the sixth publication on the intersection of poetry and prose by our independent queer mini-publishing company, Girls and Queers to the Front. As part of the residency, we want to use the work on Anouk Herman’s poetry collection as an opportunity to develop a sustainable and viable operation strategy at a time when the scope of our endeavours continues to grow and we are struggling with a lack of formal preparation for, among other things, publishing. This applies to coordinating the work on the book, setting a realistic roadmap, editorial work, working with authors and artists to design the book’s layout, and an appropriate promotional strategy. As an independent initiative and a bottom-up collective, we forge all our methods from scratch, relying mainly on our own experience and intuition, often at the risk of making obvious mistakes, frustration and professional burnout. With the right mentoring support, using Anouk Herman’s book as an example, we could develop an effective, non-hierarchical way of working that is in line with our values.

Maria Halber

I am a poet, editor and author of the poetry collection Przejścia (Old Town Cultural Centre, 2020) and the novel Strużki (Cyranka, 2023). I have been published in Dwutygodnik, Mały Format, Wizje and Pismo magazines, among others. I am a co-founder of the Girls and Queers to the Front initiative and I live in Warsaw.
(she/her)

Agata Wnuk

I am a yoga teacher, DJ, zinester, promoter and activist. I am one of the co-founder of Girls and Queers to the Front (@girlsandqueerstothefront), an initiative that has been operating in Warsaw since 2015 and focuses on creating a supportive space for girls and queer people through publishing zines, poetry books and short prose forms, organising concerts, workshops, exhibitions, performances and book readings. I hold an MSc in Data Analytics – Big Data. Although science will always be close to my heart, thanks in part to GQTTF, I have learnt to keep trying new things with more confidence. I found my true passion in teaching yoga, exploring various forms of conscious movement and training in Contemporary Thai Massage. In yoga, I continue my desire to create safer spaces and operate in a queer community, which is why I created the Queer Yoga (@queeryoga.co.uk) series of classes and workshops in 2021.
(she/her)

Aleksandra Kamińska

I am a researcher, PhD in Cultural Studies, zinester, editor and activist. I teach at the Center for American Studies at the University of Warsaw and am a member of the Gender/Sexuality Lab. I co-founded the Girls and Queers to the Front (@girlsandqueerstothefront) initiative, operating in Warsaw since 2015 and focusing on creating a nurturing space for girls and queer people by publishing zines, poetry books and short prose forms, organising concerts, workshops, exhibitions, performances and book readings. Together with Katarzyna Szenajch, I co-created the 100lesb.com project and exhibition. I am the recipient of a Fulbright grant, a National Science Centre grant and an art grant from the City of Warsaw. My interests include queer theory, autobiographical narratives, girl as an identity category, DIY (Do It Yourself, do it yourself) practices and the notion of failure in theory and practice. I write short stories and play bass in a band called NANA.
(she/her)

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