Why do the Poles leave Poland? Travel writer Ben Aitken booked a one-way ticket to Poznan to find out. This account of his year is a bittersweet portrait of an unsung country.
Ben Aitken was born under Thatcher, grew to 6ft then stopped, and is an Aquarius. He is the author of Dear Bill Bryson: Footnotes from a Small Island (2015), which was featured in the Guardian, The Times and on BBC Radio, and described by the Manchester Review as a 'poignant comment on the state of the nation' and a 'highly accomplished homage'. In 2016 Aitken moved to Poland to work in a fish and chip shop. This book is the fruit of that unlikely migration.
One of the funniest books of the year -- Paul Ross, talkRADIO
A fascinating insight ... Poland is a zone that has largely been
ignored by talented travel writers [and this] is therefore a
welcome addition. A captivating and entertaining account. * The
First News (Poland) *
A clever, critical and witty travel book about Poland * Polish
Cultural Institute *
A fascinating book [...] We should know more than we do about
Poland, a nation with which we have had centuries of interaction.
Ben Aitken's excellent book is probably the best place to start. *
The New European *
Adeptly balances personal ruminations on love, attraction, and
friendship, with cultural evaluations that subvert British
stereotypes of Polish citizens [...] An engaging romp through
Polish culture, with a resonant political message of the importance
of interacting with other cultures and preserving our ties with
Europe. * The London Magazine *
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