Andrzej Sapkowski was born on June 21, 1948 in Łódź, where he has lived until now, since 2008 as an honorary citizen of the city. He is an economist by profession, initially he worked as a trader in a company dealing in the sale of fur. He started his literary career by translating fantasy stories.
He is best known, of course, for creating a story about the famous witcher, Geralt of Rivia, but he has also written essays, short stories, novels and various articles. The most popular works include King Arthur’s World , The Manuscript Found in the Dragon Cave, Maladie and the Viper. Sapkowski is the second most frequently translated Polish fantasy writer after Lem. His works (Especially the Witcher saga) gained popularity both in Poland and abroad. His work has been translated into nearly 20 languages.
The author is also a laureate of many prestigious awards. He received, inter alia, the Award of the Literary Foundation im. Natalia Gall, five times the Janusz A. Zajdel, the Sfinks Award, the World Fantasy Award and many others. In 2003, he was also nominated for a Nike Award for his novel Narreturm .
Many other productions were created on the basis of Sapkowski’s work, which is often a source of controversy. First of all, the author criticizes the witcher games and their fans, which was widely echoed in the community, especially when the players were compared to scrambled eggs.for which – as he said – he does not like. He apologized for the comparison with his usual sharp tongue. His attitude to games, which he still owes his fame to abroad, is negative and widely known. In interviews, he often criticized developers, saying, for example, that the game “made him a lot of stench and crap.” Fans, who were used to this type of commentary, gradually lost their initial respect for the author. No wonder – although we like Sapkowski’s sharp, often vulgar, sarcastic language in the book narrative, using it against players (who are also often readers) does not leave a good impression.
I know a few people who have played this game, but I don’t know many of them, because I am rather among intelligent people
Another known controversy is also the problem with the game developers themselves. It all started at the very beginning, when CD Projekt signed a copyright agreement with Andrzej Sapkowski. Then Sapkowski, not believing in the game’s success, agreed to a one-time payment of PLN 35,000, despite the fact that he was offered a percentage of potential profits. The game, however, turned out to be an undoubted success, and Sapkowski, after reflection, demanded PLN 60 million from the company, citing Article 44 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act. In the end, the author concluded an agreement with the authors, the terms of which are still unknown to this day. However, the fans did not forget, and the author has been criticized so far for his behavior towards the game, players and the entire CD Projekt studio.
After all, Andrzej Sapkowski’s books remain an unquestionable ace for Polish literature. The author draws handfuls from mythology, legends and fairy tales, building a unique world, framed in a colorful language full of riposte. His texts, however, do not lack deep reflections on, for example, morality or loyalty. Although Sapkowski was a participant in many controversies, his work deserves recognition.
