24.05.2001
The "Golden Sceptre" for Stanisław Lem
The "Golden Sceptre" award in 2001, given by the Polish Culture Foundation and BIG Bank GDAŃSKI SA went to the writer Stanisław Lem.
The award chapter, chaired by Beata Tyszkiewicz gave the award to Stanisław Lem for "thinking ahead of his time". The prize is a sculpture by professor Krzysztof Nitsch and the sum of PLN 100 000. An additional award of PLN 10 000 for a young talented author was presented by Stanisław Lem to Jolanta Stefko, a young poet from Cracow. Both awards were sponsored by BIG Bank GDAŃSKI SA.
The award giving ceremony took place on 24 May 2001 in the Prussian Homage Hall in Sukiennice in Cracow, with a commemorative show on this occasion being given in the Teatr Stu on 27 May 2001. This event was broadcast on 3 June this year on TVP Channel II.
Stanisław Lem
His debut was in 1946 with the "Man from Mars" novel, in 1951 he published his first book, a science fiction novel titled "The Astronauts". His further works - translated into several dozen languages, published in a total number of close to thirty million copies - have given Lem the status of one of the greatest writers in the history of science fiction literature, with "Solaris", "His Master's Voice", "The Star Diaries", or "The Cyberiad" are seen to be among the most famous SF works of the twenty first century.
A token of international recognition was the honorary membership awarded to Lem in 1973 by the Science Fiction Writers of America.
Stanisław Lem is a member of the Polish Writers Association and the Polish Pen Club, winner of many domestic and international awards (including a 1st Degree State Award in Culture and Arts, the Austrian National European Culture Award), decorations (Order of the White Eagle), Honoris Causa doctorates (Wrocław Polytechnic, Opolski University, Lvov University and the Jagielloński University). Since 1972 Lem has been taking part in work of the "Polska 2000" Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. A member of the Polish Academy of Skills since 1994.
