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Andrzej Sapkowski (; born 21 June 1948) is a Polish
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, ...
, essayist,
translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...
and a trained
economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
. He is best known for his six-volume series of books '' The Witcher'', which revolves around the eponymous "witcher," a monster-hunter, Geralt of Rivia. It began with the publication of ''
Blood of Elves ''Blood of Elves'' ( pl, Krew elfów),the first novel in ''The Witcher'' series, was written by the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It was first published in Poland in 1994,and is a sequel to the ''Witcher ''short stories collected in t ...
'' (1994) and was completed with the publication of standalone prequel novel ''
Season of Storms ''Season of Storms'' (Polish original title: ''Sezon burz'') is the sixth novel and eighth overall book in the '' Witcher'' series written by Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in Poland in 2013. It is not a sequel to the o ...
'' (2013). The saga has been popularised through television, cinema, stage, comic books, computer games and translated into 37 languages making him the second most-translated Polish
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
and fantasy writer after Stanisław Lem. He was born in
Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...
and initially pursued a career as an economist after graduating from the University of Łódź. He turned to writing, first as a translator and later as an author of fantasy books, following the success of his first short story ''The Witcher'' published in 1986 in the ''Fantastyka'' magazine. Described as the "Polish Tolkien", he wrote 10 novels and 8 short story collections, which sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The influence of
Slavic mythology Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the Bal ...
is seen as a characteristic feature of many of his works. He is a five-time recipient of the Zajdel Award, Poland's most popular science fiction and fantasy prize, as well as many other awards and honours including David Gemmell Award, World Fantasy Life Achievement Award and the
Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
.


Early life

He was born on 21 June 1948 in
Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...
. His father served in the Polish People's Army and participated in the
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula– ...
. After the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, his parents lived near Nowa Sól before settling in Łódź in Central Poland. He attended the Bolesław Prus High School No. 21. He also studied
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...
at the University of Łódź, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. He started his literary career as a translator, in particular, of science fiction. Among the first works translated by him was ''The Words of Guru'' by
Cyril M. Kornbluth Cyril M. Kornbluth (July 2, 1923 – March 21, 1958) was an American science fiction author and a member of the Futurians. He used a variety of pen-names, including Cecil Corwin, S. D. Gottesman, Edward J. Bellin, Kenneth Falconer, W ...
.


Career


Major works

He says he wrote his first
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
, '' The Witcher'' ("Wiedźmin", also translated "The Hexer" or "Spellmaker"), on a whim, in order to enter a contest by Polish science fiction and fantasy magazine ''
Fantastyka ''Fantastyka'' (est 1982, in 1990 renamed ''Nowa Fantastyka'') is a Polish speculative fiction monthly fantasy and science fiction magazine. History ''Fantastyka'' was established in 1982 by sci-fi fans Andrzej Krzepkowski, Jacek Rodek and , un ...
''. In an interview, he said that being a businessman at the time and thus familiar with marketing, he knew how to sell, and indeed, he won third prize. The story was published in ''Fantastyka'' in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Sapkowski has created a cycle of tales based on the world of "The Witcher", comprising three collections of short stories and six novels. This cycle and his other works have made him one of the best-known
fantasy author This is a list of fantasy authors, authors known for writing works of fantasy, fantasy literature, or related genres of magic realism, horror fiction, science fantasy. Many of the authors are known for work outside the fantasy genres. A ...
s in Poland in the 1990s. The main character of "The Witcher" is Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter trained for this since childhood. Geralt exists in a morally ambiguous universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
's signature character
Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe () is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler, who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The hardboiled crime fiction genre originated in the 1920s, notably in ''Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiel ...
. Marek Oramus
Jedynie słuszny wizerunek wiedźmina
', Polityka – nr 36 (2261) from 2000-09-02; pp. 52–54
The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by
Slavic mythology Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the Bal ...
. In her review of ''
Blood of Elves ''Blood of Elves'' ( pl, Krew elfów),the first novel in ''The Witcher'' series, was written by the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It was first published in Poland in 1994,and is a sequel to the ''Witcher ''short stories collected in t ...
'', Alice Wybrew of ''Total Sci-Fi'' writes that "Moving effortlessly between moments of wrought emotion and staggeringly effective action, to lengthy periods of political discussion and war stratagems, Sapkowski addresses every aspect of a good fantasy novel eloquently and with ease. His style reads as easily as David Gemmel, but hits harder and deeper than his late fantasy comrade. Creating a world that is both familiar and comfortable, it is through his inventive use of character manipulation that he generates a new and realistic experience". In 2001, he published the ''Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave'', an original and personal guide to fantasy literature. It was written in the form of an encyclopaedia and the author discusses in it the history of the literary genre, well-known fantasy heroes, descriptions of magic terminology as well as major works of notable writers including J.R.R. Tolkien's '' The Hobbit'' and ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's bo ...
'', Robert E. Howard's '' Conan'', C.S. Lewis's ''
The Chronicles of Narnia ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven high fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' has been Adaptations of The Chron ...
'',
Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
's '' Earthsea'', Roger Zelazny's ''
The Chronicles of Amber ''The Chronicles of Amber'' is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Roger Zelazny. The main series consists of two story arcs, each five novels in length. Additionally, there are a number of Amber short stories and other works. Four a ...
'', J.K. Rowling's ''
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...
'' or
George R.R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
's ''
A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, '' A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who i ...
''. Sapkowski's next book series was '' The Hussite Trilogy'' set in the 15th century at the time of the
Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, Eur ...
with Reinmar of Bielawa as the main protagonist. Mariusz Czubaj writes: Although ''The Hussite Trilogy'' proved less popular compared to ''The Witcher'', it has been described as the author's " magnum opus". Published between 2002 and 2006, the series was released as an
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
in 2019.


Legal dispute with CD Projekt

In October 2018, he filed a lawsuit against CD Projekt demanding 60 million zloty ($16.1 million) in
royalty payments A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
from the company for using the Witcher universe in their computer games. The lawsuit was launched despite the fact that Sapkowski had sold the video game rights to the Witcher for a single sum, rather than through a royalties contract. Sapkowski and his lawyers based their lawsuit on Article 44 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act. CD Projekt released a statement claiming that the author's demands are groundless and that the company had legitimately and legally acquired copyright to Sapkowski's works. His decision was criticized by many commentators and gaming journalists including Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of ''
Metro 2033 Metro 2033 may refer to: * ''Metro 2033'' (novel), a 2002 novel by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky * ''Metro 2033'' (video game), a 2010 first-person shooter video game based on the novel See also * ''Metro'' (franchise), originating from t ...
'', who described him as "an old fool" and noted that without the gaming franchise, the Witcher series "would never get this crazy international readership" and would have remained popular only in
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
and
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
. On 20 December 2019, the writer and the company resolved the lawsuit with an amicable settlement. The company stated this deal was made in an effort "to maintain good relations with authors of works which have inspired CD Projekt Red’s own creations." The details of this arrangement weren't made public.


Personal life

Sapkowski resides in his hometown of
Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...
in central Poland. He is an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
. He had a son named Krzysztof (1972–2019), who was an avid reader of the Polish ''Fantastyka'' magazine, and for whom he wrote the first ''Witcher'' story, who has since deceased. Sapkowski is a member of the Polish Writers' Association. In an interview, he mentioned that his favorite writers included
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...
,
Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
,
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
and
Umberto Eco Umberto Eco (5 January 1932 – 19 February 2016) was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic, and political and social commentator. In English, he is best known for his popular 1980 novel ''The Name of th ...
. In 2005, Stanisław Bereś conducted a lengthy interview with Sapkowski that was eventually published in a book form as '' Historia i fantastyka''


Translations and adaptations of Sapkowski's works

Sapkowski's books have been translated into Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Dutch,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
,
Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also * ...
, Finnish,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Georgian,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Portuguese,
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...
, Russian,
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation ...
, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
. An English translation of '' The Last Wish'' short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007. From 2008, the Witcher saga is published by Gollancz. The English translation of Sapkowski's novel ''
Blood of Elves ''Blood of Elves'' ( pl, Krew elfów),the first novel in ''The Witcher'' series, was written by the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It was first published in Poland in 1994,and is a sequel to the ''Witcher ''short stories collected in t ...
'' won the David Gemmell Legend Award in 2009. In the years 1993–1995, a six-issue
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series entitled '' The Witcher'' was released in the ''Komiks'' magazine by Prószyński i S-ka publishing house. The comic was written by Maciej Parowski and illustrated by
Bogusław Polch Bogusław Polch act. Połch (5 October 1941 – 2 January 2020) was a Polish comic book artist. His most notable works include the series '' The Gods from Outer Space'' (based on Erich von Däniken books, written by Arnold Mostowicz and Alfred G� ...
. The comics were the first attempt to portray the Witcher universe outside the novels. Since 2014, a comic book series '' The Witcher'' has been published by the American publisher
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
. The stories presented in the series are mostly originals, written not by Andrzej Sapkowski but by other writers; the exception being volume 2, Fox Children, which adapted a story from the anthology ''
Season of Storms ''Season of Storms'' (Polish original title: ''Sezon burz'') is the sixth novel and eighth overall book in the '' Witcher'' series written by Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in Poland in 2013. It is not a sequel to the o ...
''. In 2001, a
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
based on the ''Witcher'' cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled ''Wiedźmin'' (''The Hexer''). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures. In 2009, Russian heavy metal band Esse staged ''The Road with No Return'', a rock opera based on the works by Sapkowski. Yevgeny Pronin is the author of the
libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...
and the composer of much of the opera's music. The premiere of the opera took place the same year in
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the Eas ...
and was subsequently released as a DVD in 2012. The Polish game developer, CD Projekt Red, created a role-playing game series based on ''The Witcher'' universe. The first game, titled simply '' The Witcher'', was first released in October 2007. The sequel, '' The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings'' was released in 2011. The third game in the trilogy, '' The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'', was released in May 2015. The game shipped over 40 million copies, making it one of the best selling video games of all time. In May 2017,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
commissioned '' The Witcher'', an English-language adaptation of the book series. ''The Witcher'' television series premiered on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
on 20 December 2019. Sapkowski served for a while as a creative consultant on the project. The popularity of the Netflix show led to Sapkowski topping
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
's list of best-selling authors ahead of J.K. Rowling and
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
. A
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
anime '' The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf'', produced by
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich ( ) is an American television producer and screenwriter. She is the series creator of the television series '' The Witcher''. Early life She was raised in Westerville, Ohio, and graduated from Wittenberg University in Sp ...
, premiered in 2021. In September 2017, a
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
''Wiedźmin'' (The Witcher) directed by Wojciech Kościelniak was premiered at the Musical Theatre in
Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in th ...
. '' The Witcher: Blood Origin'' is an upcoming
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
miniseries created by
Declan de Barra Declan de Barra is an Irish musician, animator and screenwriter, best known for his work in American television. In addition, de Barra's animations have featured in various international film festivals. Music Born in Bunmahon, Co. Waterford, I ...
and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich adapted from ''The Witcher'' book series which will serve as a prequel to the Netflix television series. It is expected to premiere in December 2022.


Awards and recognition

Sapkowski is a recipient of numerous awards and honours both Polish and foreign including: *2016:
World Fantasy Award—Life Achievement The World Fantasy Awards are given each year by the World Fantasy Convention for the best fantasy fiction and fantasy art published in English during the preceding calendar year. The awards have been described by sources such as ''The Guardian'' a ...
for ''The Witcher'' saga *2012: Tähtifantasia Award (Finland) for his short story ''Sword of Destiny'' translated from Polish by Tapani Kärkkäinen; Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Award nomination for his novel ''Spellmaker'', translated from the Polish by
Michael Kandel Michael Kandel (born December 24, 1941 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American translator and author of science fiction. Biography Kandel received a doctorate in Slavistics from Indiana University. His most recent position was editor at the ...
*2011: FantLab's Book of the Year Award (Russia) for his short story ''Żmija'' (Viper) in the Best Translated Novella or Short Story category *2010:
European Science Fiction Society The European Science Fiction Society is an international organisation of professionals and fans who are committed to promoting science fiction in Europe and European science fiction worldwide. The organisation was founded at the first Eurocon ( ...
"European Grand Master" honorary award *2009: David Gemmell Legend Award *2008:
Honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...
of the city of
Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of ca ...
*2003: Ignotus Award (Spain) for ''The Last Wish'' in the Best Anthology category and for ''Muzykanci'' (The Musicians) in the Best Foreign Short Story category; Nike Award nomination (Poland's top literary prize) for his novel '' Narrenturm'' *2002: Janusz A. Zajdel for his novel '' Narrenturm'' *1997: Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success *1996:
European Science Fiction Society The European Science Fiction Society is an international organisation of professionals and fans who are committed to promoting science fiction in Europe and European science fiction worldwide. The organisation was founded at the first Eurocon ( ...
Hall of Fame: author *1995: Raczyński Library Award for lifetime achievements *1994:
Janusz A. Zajdel Award The Janusz A. Zajdel Award (''Nagroda imienia Janusza A. Zajdla''), often called just Zajdel, is the annual award given by the Polish science fiction and fantasy fandom for the best stories published in the previous year. The winners are chose ...
for his novel ''
Krew elfów ''Blood of Elves'' ( pl, Krew elfów),the first novel in ''The Witcher'' series, was written by the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It was first published in Poland in 1994,and is a sequel to the ''Witcher ''short stories collected in ...
'' (Blood of Elves) *1993: Ikaros Award (Czech Republic);
Janusz A. Zajdel Award The Janusz A. Zajdel Award (''Nagroda imienia Janusza A. Zajdla''), often called just Zajdel, is the annual award given by the Polish science fiction and fantasy fandom for the best stories published in the previous year. The winners are chose ...
for his short story ''W leju po bombie'' (In a Bomb Crater) *1992:
Janusz A. Zajdel Award The Janusz A. Zajdel Award (''Nagroda imienia Janusza A. Zajdla''), often called just Zajdel, is the annual award given by the Polish science fiction and fantasy fandom for the best stories published in the previous year. The winners are chose ...
for his short story ''
Miecz przeznaczenia ''Sword of Destiny'' ( pl, Miecz przeznaczenia) is the second published short story collection in Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski's ''The Witcher'' series. Although published in 1992, it is officially considered the second entry in the ...
'' (Sword of Destiny) *1990:
Janusz A. Zajdel Award The Janusz A. Zajdel Award (''Nagroda imienia Janusza A. Zajdla''), often called just Zajdel, is the annual award given by the Polish science fiction and fantasy fandom for the best stories published in the previous year. The winners are chose ...
for his short story ''
Mniejsze zło ''The Last Wish'' ( pl, Ostatnie życzenie) is the third published short story collection in Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski's ''The Witcher'' series. Published by SuperNowa in 1993, it was preceded by 1992's ''Sword of Destiny'', but ...
'' (The Lesser of Two Evils)


Orders

*2014: Silver Medal Gloria Artis, conferred by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland


Bibliography


The Witcher Saga


Short story collections

*''The Witcher'' ('' pl:Wiedźmin'', 1990), 5 stories. Currently out of print, although 4 of its stories were reprinted in ''The Last Wish'' along with new material, while the fifth story was reprinted in ''Something ends, Something begins'' and ''The Malady and Other Stories''. *''
Sword of Destiny ''Sword of Destiny'' ( pl, Miecz przeznaczenia) is the second published short story collection in Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski's ''The Witcher'' series. Although published in 1992, it is officially considered the second entry in the ...
'' (''Miecz przeznaczenia'', 1992), 6 stories. English edition: 2015 *'' The Last Wish'' (''Ostatnie życzenie'', 1993), 7 stories. English edition: 2007 (in US: 2008). Its stories (including both its original stories and the stories which it republishes from ''The Witcher'') take place before ''Sword of Destiny'' even though it was published later. *The short story "The Hexer" in the English anthology ''Chosen by Fate: Zajdel Award Winner Anthology'' (by SuperNOVA in cooperation with the Silesian Club of Fantasy Literature, 2000) is an English translation by Agnieszka Fulińska of the short story "The Witcher" which had previously been published in Polish in ''The Witcher'' and ''The Last Wish''. ''The Last Wish'' was later translated into English in full. *The short story "Spellmaker" in the English anthology ''A Polish Book of Monsters'' (edited and translated by
Michael Kandel Michael Kandel (born December 24, 1941 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American translator and author of science fiction. Biography Kandel received a doctorate in Slavistics from Indiana University. His most recent position was editor at the ...
, 2010) is another translation of the short story "The Witcher" which had previously been published in ''The Witcher,'' ''The Last Wish,'' and ''Chosen by Fate: Zajdel Award Winner Anthology''. *''Something Ends, Something Begins'' ('' pl:Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna'', 2000), 8 stories. Only two of its stories are related to ''The Witcher'' saga ("The Road with No Return" and the titular "Something Ends, Something Begins"). *''The Malady and Other Stories'' ('' :pl:Maladie i inne opowiadania'', 2012), 10 stories. It includes the 8 stories from ''Something ends, Something begins'' plus two new stories that aren't related to ''The Witcher'' saga. The only one of its stories that was translated into English is the titular "The Malady" which was published in 2014 under the title ''The Malady and Other Stories'', although that English publication didn't include the other 9 stories from the Polish collection of the same name.


Pentalogy

*''
Blood of Elves ''Blood of Elves'' ( pl, Krew elfów),the first novel in ''The Witcher'' series, was written by the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It was first published in Poland in 1994,and is a sequel to the ''Witcher ''short stories collected in t ...
'' (''Krew elfów'', 1994). English edition: 2009 *''
Time of Contempt ''Time of Contempt'' (Polish original title: ''Czas pogardy'', early title was translated less literally as ''Time of Anger'') is the second novel in the Witcher Saga written by Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski, first published 1995 in P ...
'' (''Czas pogardy'', 1995). English edition: 27 June 2013 *'' Baptism of Fire'' (''Chrzest ognia'', 1996). English edition: 6 March 2014 *'' The Tower of Swallows'' (''Wieża Jaskółki'', 1997). English edition: May 2016 *'' Lady of the Lake'' (''Pani Jeziora'', 1999). English edition: 14 March 2017


Standalone Prequel novel

* ''
Season of Storms ''Season of Storms'' (Polish original title: ''Sezon burz'') is the sixth novel and eighth overall book in the '' Witcher'' series written by Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in Poland in 2013. It is not a sequel to the o ...
'' (''Sezon burz'', 2013). English edition: 22 May 2018 – set between the short stories in ''The Last Wish''


'' Hussite Trilogy''

*'' The Tower of Fools'' (''Narrenturm'', 2002). English edition: 2020 *'' Warriors of God'' (''Boży bojownicy'', 2004) *'' Light Perpetual'' (''Lux perpetua'', 2006)


Other novels

*''Viper'' (''Żmija'', 2009), a stand-alone novel set during the
Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Soviet ...


Other works

*''The Eye of Yrrhedes'' (''Oko Yrrhedesa'', 1995), roleplaying game *''The World of King Arthur. Maladie'' (''Świat króla Artura. Maladie'', 1995), essay and an illustrated short story set in Arthurian mythology *''Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave'' (''Rękopis znaleziony w Smoczej Jaskini'', 2001),
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
encyclopedic compendium


See also

*
Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Lati ...
*
Science fiction and fantasy in Poland Science fiction and fantasy in Poland dates to the late 18th century. During the latter years of the People's Republic of Poland, a very popular genre of science fiction was social science fiction. Later, many other genres gained prominence. ...
* List of Polish writers * Stanisław Lem *
Jacek Dukaj Jacek Józef Dukaj (born 30 July 1974) is a Polish science fiction and fantasy writer. He has received numerous literary prizes including the European Union Prize for Literature and Janusz A. Zajdel Award. Career He was born on 30 July 1974 ...
*
Janusz A. Zajdel Award The Janusz A. Zajdel Award (''Nagroda imienia Janusza A. Zajdla''), often called just Zajdel, is the annual award given by the Polish science fiction and fantasy fandom for the best stories published in the previous year. The winners are chose ...
*
Toss a Coin to Your Witcher "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" is an original song from the Netflix TV series ''The Witcher (TV series), The Witcher'', composed by Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli with lyrics by Jenny Klein, and sung by Joey Batey (as Jaskier (fictional charact ...
*'' Gwent: The Witcher Card Game'' *'' The Witcher: Monster Slayer''


References


External links


Andrzej Sapkowski's official site
* *
Andrzej Sapkowski
at Culture.pl
Canon of fantasy literature, by Andrzej Sapkowski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sapkowski, Andrzej 1948 births Living people People from Łódź Polish fantasy writers 20th-century Polish novelists 21st-century Polish novelists Polish male novelists Polish male short story writers Polish short story writers 20th-century Polish male writers 21st-century Polish male writers 20th-century short story writers 21st-century short story writers Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Polish translators Polish economists Constructed language creators University of Łódź alumni Recipients of the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis World Fantasy Award-winning writers Slavic mythology in popular culture Works based on Slavic mythology Polish atheists Atheist writers Former Roman Catholics Writers from Łódź People from Łódź Voivodeship