Andrzej Sapkowski

Andrzej Sapkowski (born 21 June 1948) is a Polish fantasy writer. He is best known for his series of books, The Witcher, which revolves around the eponymous monster-hunter, Geralt of Rivia. The saga has been popularised through video games, television, stage, comic books and translated into 37 languages, making him the second most-translated Polish science fiction and fantasy writer after Stanisław Lem.

Described as the "Polish Tolkien", he has written multiple novels and short story collections, selling over 30 million copies worldwide. The influence of Slavic mythology 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 the David Gemmell Award, the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award and the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture.