Editorial problems and puzzles in the manuscripts by Bolesław Leśmian

Abstract

The article discusses Bolesław Leśmian’s manuscripts which in 1944 his wife and daughter took away from Poland. After a long journey these materials were placed in the Harry Ransom Center collection in Austin (USA). After the war there attempts to draw Polish authorities’ and cultural institutions’ attention to them, unsuccessfully, however, because the manuscripts did not return to Poland. The author of the text focuses on benefits from collation of the available records with the manuscript. On this occasion problems connected with multi-variant nature, author’s will or the scope of editorial competences are discussed.