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 called The Witcher. This series is about a monster-hunter named Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher stories became very popular through TV shows, stage plays, comic books, and video games. His books have been translated into 37 languages. This makes him one of the most translated Polish fantasy writers. People sometimes call him the "Polish Tolkien". He has written many novels and short story collections, selling millions of copies worldwide. Many of his stories use ideas from Slavic mythology.
Andrzej Sapkowski has won many awards. These include the Janusz A. Zajdel Award, which is Poland's most popular science fiction and fantasy prize. He also received the David Gemmell Award and the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrzej Sapkowski was born on 21 June 1948 in Łódź, a city in central Poland. His father was a soldier in the Polish People's Army and fought in World War II. After the war, his parents settled in Łódź.
He went to Bolesław Prus High School No. 21. He also studied economics at the University of Łódź. Before he became a writer, he worked as a senior sales person for a company that traded with other countries. He started his writing journey by translating science fiction books.
Writing Career
The Witcher Series
Andrzej Sapkowski says he wrote his first short story, The Witcher, in 1986. He wrote it just for fun to enter a contest by a Polish science fiction magazine called Fantastyka. He won third prize in the contest. The story was published in Fantastyka in 1986 and became very popular with readers and critics.
Sapkowski then created a whole series of stories based on the Witcher world. This series includes three collections of short stories and eight novels. These books made him one of the most famous fantasy authors in Poland in the 1990s.
The main character of The Witcher is Geralt of Rivia. He was trained as a monster hunter from a young age. Geralt lives in a world where good and bad are not always clear. But he always tries to follow his own strong rules. Geralt is both a bit cynical and very noble. The world where his adventures happen is greatly inspired by Slavic mythology.
Critics have praised Sapkowski's writing style. They say he moves easily between emotional moments and exciting action scenes. He also writes well about political discussions and war plans. His stories explore serious topics like ethnic problems and fighting against unfairness. These ideas often connect to the history of Central and Eastern Europe.
Other Notable Works
In 2001, Sapkowski published Manuscript Found in a Dragon's Cave. This book is a guide to fantasy literature. It is written like an encyclopaedia. In it, the author talks about the history of fantasy stories. He also discusses famous fantasy heroes, magic terms, and important books by other writers. These include The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Conan by Robert E. Howard, and Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.
Sapkowski's next book series was the Hussite Trilogy. These books are set in the 15th century during the Hussite Wars. The main character is Reinmar of Bielawa. This trilogy was not as popular as The Witcher, but some people call it his best work. The series was published between 2002 and 2006. An audiobook version was released in 2019.
In August 2023, Sapkowski shared exciting news with his Ukrainian fans. He announced that he is working on a new novel in The Witcher universe. He said it might take about a year to finish. This means a new Witcher book could be out in 2024!
Working with CD Projekt
In 2018, there was a disagreement between Andrzej Sapkowski and CD Projekt. This company makes the popular Witcher video games. They later reached a friendly agreement in December 2019. CD Projekt said they wanted to keep good relationships with authors whose works inspire their games. The details of their agreement were not shared publicly.
Personal Life
Andrzej Sapkowski lives in his hometown of Łódź, Poland. He had a son named Krzysztof (1972–2019). Krzysztof loved reading the Polish Fantastyka magazine. Andrzej Sapkowski wrote the first Witcher story for him.
Sapkowski is a member of the Polish Writers Association. He has mentioned that some of his favorite writers are Ernest Hemingway, Mikhail Bulgakov, and Umbert Eco. In 2005, Stanisław Bereś interviewed Sapkowski. This long interview was later published as a book called Historia i fantastyka.
Translations and 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 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.
Comic Books
From 1993 to 1995, a six-issue comic book series called The Witcher was released in Poland. These comics were the first time the Witcher world was shown outside of the novels. Since 2014, an American publisher, Dark Horse Comics, has also published The Witcher comic books.
TV Shows and Films
In 2001, a TV series based on the Witcher books was released in Poland. It was called Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film was also made from parts of the TV series.
In May 2017, Netflix decided to make an English-language TV show based on the books. The Witcher TV series premiered on Netflix on 20 December 2019. Sapkowski worked as a consultant for a while on the show. The show's popularity made Sapkowski one of the best-selling authors on Amazon. An animated spin-off movie, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, came out in 2021.
The Witcher: Blood Origin is another fantasy miniseries from Netflix. It is a prequel to the main Witcher TV series. It was released in December 2022.
Video Games
The Polish game company, CD Projekt Red, created a very popular role-playing game series based on The Witcher universe.
- The first game, The Witcher, came out in October 2007.
- The second game, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, was released in 2011.
- The third game in the series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was released in May 2015. This game has sold over 40 million copies, making it one of the best selling video games of all time.
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:
- 1990: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his short story Mniejsze zło (The Lesser of Two Evils)
- 1992: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his short story Miecz przeznaczenia (Sword of Destiny)
- 1993: Ikaros Award (Czech Republic); Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his short story W leju po bombie (In a Bomb Crater)
- 1994: Janusz A. Zajdel Award for his novel Krew elfów (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 and Muzykanci (The Musicians)
- 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 Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
See Also
In Spanish: Andrzej Sapkowski para niños
- Polish literature
- Science fiction and fantasy in Poland
- List of Polish writers
- Stanisław Lem
- Jacek Dukaj
- Janusz A. Zajdel Award
- Toss a Coin to Your Witcher
- Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
- The Witcher: Monster Slayer
