Kridl, Manfred, A Survey of Polish Literature and Culture, Columbia University Press, 1967.

This book presents a general picture of the development of Polish literature from the Middle Ages to 1945. Included is information about the cultural background and social movements of the literary works. The section on pre—World War II Polish literature gives a good backdrop to the time when Swir was beginning her career.

Krzyzanowski, Julian, A History of Polish Literature, translated by Doris Ronowicz, rev. and enl. by Maria Bokszczanin and Halina Geber, Polish Scientific Publishers, 1978.

This book is a translation of a famous work by Krzyzanowski, who is considered one of the greatest historians of Polish literature. While multiple editions of this book have made it familiar to the Polish reader, it was actually written with foreign readers in mind so that they might have a guide to Polish literature along...