Hi, I'm Aleks!

I’m a journalist, translator (Polish to English), and publishing professional with a love for books, storytelling, and connecting great writing with the right audience. I recently completed my MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield,  and I’m now building a career in book publishing and literary translation.

I’ve worked across journalism, academic publishing, and marketing, writing and editing articles, supporting authors, managing social media platforms, and crafting campaigns. Literary translation is a big passion of mine, and I’m excited to keep growing my portfolio of published and award-winning work.

• Third Prize in the Stephen Spender International Poetry Translation Competition 2024.
• Shortlisted for The Guardian’s Scott Trust Bursary in 2021.
• Published articles in outlets including NationalWorld, The Daily Star, and Cambridgeshire Live.

“In Contraband, the translation faced a different challenge: conveying themes of displacement and war, especially relevant in today’s context. The translator, Aleksandra Zolczynska, skilfully focused on the imagery and symbolism, with her use of thoughtful word choices to maintain the poem’s thematic nuances resulting in a deeply moving rendition.” 

- Taher Adel, judge in the Stephen Spender Prize Open category 2024

"Aleksandra Zolczynska’s Third Prize-winning translation of Agata Jabłońska’s ‘Contraband’ poignantly expresses the displacement experienced by refugees and the horror of war, sensitively capturing the use of grammar and symbolism in the original Polish."

- Jennifer Wong, judge in the Stephen Spender Prize Open category 2024