Katarzyna Marciniak

Professor Katarzyna Marciniak is a distinguished scholar at the Faculty of Artes Liberales, University of Warsaw, where she serves as Director of the Center for Research on Ancient Tradition (OBTA) and Head of The Cluster: The Past for the Present – International Research and Educational Programme. She was Vice-Dean for International Cooperation from 2016 to 2024 and has established herself as a leading expert in classical reception studies, particularly regarding children's literature.

Professor Marciniak earned her Master of Arts in Classical Philology (2000) and Italian Philology (2003) from the University of Warsaw, completing the Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in the Humanities in 2003. She received her Doctor of Humanities degree in 2004 (summa cum laude) with a dissertation on Cicero's translations from Greek to Latin as ideological manipulation tools, supervised by Professor Jerzy Axer. She completed her habilitation in 2009 and was awarded the title of Professor of Humanities in 2019.

Her research focuses on the reception of Classical Antiquity in children's and young adults' culture, exploring how ancient myths function as transformation markers in contemporary societies. She examines the role of mythical creatures in youth literature across different cultures and how classical mythology serves as a cultural code that facilitates intergenerational communication. Her work bridges classical philology with modern literary studies and educational theory.

Professor Marciniak's publications reveal a consistent trajectory examining how classical antiquity, particularly mythology, is adapted for younger audiences. Her work spans from scholarly analyses of Cicero to accessible mythological guides for children. The most recent publications focus on how ancient myths serve as medicine for life's hardships and how mythical beasts function as cultural transformation markers across global youth literature.

• Prime Minister's Award for best doctoral dissertation (2004)
• Klio Award 2nd class for best historical book (2011)
• Polityka Scientific Award (2012)
• Title of Young Ambassador of the Polish Language (2013)
• Medal of the 200th Anniversary of the University of Warsaw (2016)
• ERC Consolidator Grant (2016-2022)
• ERC Proof of Concept Grant (2023-2025)

Professor Marciniak has secured significant research funding, including the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant (the first in humanities in Poland) and ERC Proof of Concept Grant for her "Our Mythical Childhood" program. She has also received multiple Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awards and has been elected to the Academy of Young Scientists of the Polish Academy of Sciences. She serves on the Management Board of the International Federation of Classical Studies and the Board of Curators of Department I of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

She directs the Center for Research on Ancient Tradition (OBTA) which coordinates the international "Our Mythical Childhood" research program. This initiative has grown into a global network connecting scholars from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The program has produced several major publications and educational initiatives, including the "Modern Argonauts" multicultural educational program.