Andrzej Sapkowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrzej Sapkowski
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Sapkowski at Lucca Comics & Games 2015
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| Born | 21 June 1948 Łódź, Poland |
| Occupation | Novelist, economist |
| Alma mater | University of Łódź |
| Period | 1986–present |
| Genre | Fantasy, history |
| Notable works | The Witcher Hussite Trilogy |
| Notable awards | Janusz A. Zajdel Award Paszport Polityki Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement David Gemmell Legend Award Ignotus Award European Science Fiction Society Award |
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Andrzej Sapkowski (born 21 June 1948) is a famous Polish fantasy writer. He is best known for his book series The Witcher. This series is about a monster-hunter named Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher books have become very popular through TV shows, plays, comic books, and video games. They have been translated into 37 languages. This makes Sapkowski one of the most translated Polish fantasy writers. People sometimes call him the "Polish Tolkien". He has sold over 30 million copies of his books worldwide. Many of his stories are inspired by Slavic mythology. He has won many awards, including the Janusz A. Zajdel Award, which is Poland's top science fiction and fantasy prize.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrzej Sapkowski was born on June 21, 1948, in Łódź, a city in central Poland. His parents settled there after World War II. He went to high school and then studied economics at the University of Łódź. Before he became a writer, he worked as a sales representative for a company that traded with other countries. He started his writing journey by translating science fiction stories.
Writing Career
The Witcher Series
Sapkowski wrote his first short story, The Witcher, in 1986. He says he wrote it to enter a contest held by a Polish science fiction magazine called Fantastyka. He won third prize in the contest. The story was published and became very successful with readers and critics.
After that, Sapkowski created a whole series of stories set in The Witcher world. This includes three collections of short stories and eight novels. These books made him one of the most famous fantasy authors in Poland during the 1990s.
The main character of The Witcher is Geralt of Rivia. He was trained from childhood to hunt monsters. Geralt lives in a world where good and bad are not always clear. But he always tries to follow his own strong rules about what is right. He is both a bit cynical and very noble. The world in his stories is greatly influenced by old Slavic mythology.
Critics have praised Sapkowski's writing style. They say he moves easily between emotional moments, exciting action, and discussions about politics. He creates a world that feels both familiar and new. His stories also show how different groups of people might argue over land or who belongs where.
Other Notable Works
In 2001, Sapkowski published Manuscript Found in a Dragon's Cave. This book is like a guide to fantasy literature. In it, he talks about the history of fantasy, famous fantasy heroes, and different types of magic. He also discusses important books by other well-known writers. These include J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter.
Sapkowski also wrote another book series called the Hussite Trilogy. These books are set in the 15th century during the Hussite Wars. The main character is Reinmar of Bielawa. This series is a historical fantasy, meaning it mixes history with fantasy elements. While it was not as popular as The Witcher, some people consider it a very important work by the author. The Hussite Trilogy was published between 2002 and 2006.
In November 2024, a new novel from The Witcher universe was published in Poland. It is titled Rozdroże Kruków. This book will be released internationally as Crossroads of Ravens in September 2025.
Disagreement with CD Projekt
In October 2018, Andrzej Sapkowski had a disagreement with CD Projekt. This company created the popular The Witcher video games. Sapkowski asked for more payments for the use of his Witcher universe in their games. He had originally sold the video game rights for a single payment, not a royalty deal.
CD Projekt said that his requests were not valid because they had legally bought the rights. Many people, including other authors, commented on the situation. Some felt that the video games had helped The Witcher books become famous worldwide.
However, in December 2019, Sapkowski and CD Projekt reached a friendly agreement. They decided to settle the dispute to keep good relations. The details of their agreement were not made public.
Personal Life
Andrzej Sapkowski lives in his hometown of Łódź, Poland. He had a son named Krzysztof (1972–2019). Krzysztof was a big fan of the Fantastyka magazine, and Sapkowski wrote the first Witcher story for him. Sadly, Krzysztof passed away.
Sapkowski is a member of the Polish Writers Association. He has mentioned that some of his favorite writers include Ernest Hemingway and Umberto Eco.
Adaptations of Sapkowski's Works
Sapkowski's books have been translated into many languages around the world. These include English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, and Russian.
The first English translation of a Witcher short story appeared in 2000. The English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published in 2007. His novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legend Award in 2009.
Comics and Games
Between 1993 and 1995, a six-issue comic book series called The Witcher was released in Poland. Later, starting in 2014, an American publisher called Dark Horse Comics began publishing a new The Witcher comic book series.
The Polish game company, CD Projekt Red, created a very popular series of role-playing video games based on The Witcher universe.
- The first game, The Witcher, came out in 2007.
- The second game, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, was released in 2011.
- The third game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was released in 2015. This game sold over 40 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games ever.
TV Shows and Movies
In 2001, a Polish television series called Wiedźmin (The Hexer) was released. A movie was also made from parts of this TV series. However, both were not very successful.
In 2017, Netflix announced they would make an English-language TV show based on The Witcher books. The Witcher TV series premiered on Netflix in December 2019. Sapkowski worked as a creative consultant for a while on the project. The popularity of the Netflix show helped Sapkowski become a top-selling author on Amazon.
There have also been animated spin-off shows:
- The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf premiered in 2021.
- The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep was released in February 2025. It adapted a short story from the book Sword of Destiny.
A prequel miniseries called The Witcher: Blood Origin was released on Netflix in December 2022. It tells a story set before the main The Witcher series.
Other Adaptations
In 2009, a Russian heavy metal band called Esse created a rock opera based on Sapkowski's works. It was called The Road with No Return.
In September 2017, a musical called Wiedźmin (The Witcher) premiered in Gdynia, Poland.
Awards and Recognition
Andrzej Sapkowski has received many awards and honors from Poland and other countries. Some of these include:
- 1990: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his short story The Lesser of Two Evils
- 1992: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his short story Sword of Destiny
- 1993: Ikaros Award (Czech Republic); Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his short story In a Bomb Crater
- 1994: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his novel Blood of Elves
- 1996: European Science Fiction Society Hall of Fame: author
- 1997: Paszport Polityki (an award for artists with good chances for international success)
- 2002: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his novel Narrenturm
- 2003: Ignotus Award (Spain) for The Last Wish
- 2008: Honorary citizenship of the city of Łódź
- 2009: David Gemmell Legend Award
- 2010: European Science Fiction Society "European Grand Master" honorary award
- 2016: World Fantasy Award—Life Achievement for The Witcher saga
Decorations
- 2014: Silver Medal Gloria Artis, given by the Polish Ministry of Culture.
See also
In Spanish: Andrzej Sapkowski para niños
- Polish literature
- Science fiction and fantasy in Poland
- List of Polish writers
- Stanisław Lem
- Toss a Coin to Your Witcher
