is editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, the biggest daily in Poland. Historian, co-founder of KOR (Committee for the Defense of Workers) 1976, detained many times during 1965-1980, a prominent „Solidarity" activist during the '80ties, he spent a total of six years in Polish prisons for activities opposing the communist regime. In 1989 he joined the Round Table Talks and in 1989-1991 he was a member of the first non-communist parliament. Michnik is laureat of many prizes and titles: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, The Erasmus Prize, The Francisco Cerecedo Journalist Prize as a first non-Spanish author, Grand Prince Giedymin Order; Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur; recipient of a doctorate honoris causa from The New School for Social Research in New York, from the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, from Connecticut College; honorary senator of the University of Ljubljana, honorary professor of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. Translations of his many books are: L'Église et la gauche: le dialogue polonais (1979), Penser la Pologne: morale et politique de la résistance (1983), Letters from prison and other essays (1985) and Letters from freedom: post-cold war realities and perspectives (1998).