Grażyna Bąkiewicz

I write books: young adult fiction, contemporary fiction, romance, fiction, social studies (psychology, sociology, etc.), self-help books, fairy tales, legends, folktales, interactive, pictorial, educational, children's literature, short stories, children's novels, and stories for younger children.

I was born in Łódź, I live here, and I probably will stay that way because I love my city.

I'm a historian by education, graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy and History at the University of Łódź. I was supposed to do research, but I wasn't passionate enough about history to settle for sitting in dusty archives. I considered a museum, but while waiting for a full-time job, I started working at a school. Teaching history was supposed to be a temporary position, but working with young people captivated me so much that I changed my plans. I've worked with young people for almost 30 years. I won't lie, I had moments of doubt. Hence, I studied journalism, which I took up to escape school and into the wider world. I returned very quickly, because the big world turned out to be right here, among young people. Contact with them was exactly what I needed. The multitude of issues and problems I encountered made everything else seem boring and predictable. With young people, nothing was ever predictable. I fulfilled my need to write in the simplest possible way – I invented fairy tales for my little daughters. The opportunity to present them to a larger audience came at just the right moment, as if made to order. It was the 1980s when I came across an advertisement in the Łódź press for a nationwide children's fairy tale competition. I plucked up the courage to write down the ones I'd already thought up, put them in an envelope, and mailed them. I did this mainly out of curiosity, to see if anyone would notice how beautiful they were. And what happened? Of course, I won the competition. And from that moment on, it all began. For the next few years, the fairy tales were published in a children's magazine, and I gained the courage to write something bigger, a real novel. The first was "O melba," which immediately became Book of the Year. I received the IBbY First Prize for it, an award given to outstanding authors of books for children and young adults. For me, a debutant in this field, it was a true honor. The awards ceremony took place on December 3, 2002, at Warsaw's Bookseller's Club in the Old Town Square. Also receiving lifetime achievement awards that evening were Edmund Niziurski, author of the books I grew up with, and Józef Wilkoń, painter and graphic artist whose illustrations fascinated me as much as the content. It was a profound experience to stand alongside people who were legends to me and receive the award from the Minister of Culture. From that moment on, my life was permanently linked to writing. It's a job that mainly involves taking notes on what's happening around me. I enjoy observing and listening to people. I don't really have to invent much. I've written several novels and many short stories. I write for children, young adults, and, of course, adults. When someone asks me who I write best for, I can't answer. Every book is written differently. Writing only seems like a one-on-one experience with a piece of paper or a laptop screen. In reality, it offers endless opportunities to connect with people I would never have met otherwise. Meeting readers from all over Poland is not only a pleasure but also a huge dose of energy, which allows me to create new and amazing stories. I love history. I like visiting monuments. I enjoy an aura of mystery; unusual things, things not fully explained. And I love reading. I invite you to read my books and to talk about them. Best regards,

Grażyna Bąkiewicz