Grażyna Bąkiewicz

(b. 1955) – a prose writer, author of novels and short stories for children, and novels of manners; she also worked as a teacher.

She graduated in history from the University of Łódź. She skilfully combines a passion for popularising with a fantastical imagination and a sensitivity to the problems of young people. She has published over twenty novels and several of short stories.

In her cycle Ale historia… (Some history…) the author describes key eras and characters from Poland’s history. In “Mieszko, ty wikingu!” (Mieszko, You Viking!) a group of teenagers travels back in time to the realm of early Piast dynasty. The characters learn all about the realities of life in the year 990 and whether Mieszko I was a Viking. The subsequent titles in the series have a similar structure. In “Stasiu, co ty robisz” (Staś, What Are You Up To) the protagonists discover the reasons for the downfall of Republic of Poland, in “Ta potworna wojna” (This Monstrious War) they observe the times of WW2 occupation, and in “Ta śmieszna i straszna PRL” (This ridiculous, terrible PRL) they face the hardships of Communist Poland.

In “Korniszonek” (Gherkin), aimed at younger readers, the author tells the story of Jacuś Ogórski, who – during his first year at school – finds it hard to adjust. Keen to reconcile play with studying, the boy forms a pact with Mietek the Magician, which has unexpected consequences.

The protagonist of the novel “O melba” (Oh Melba), addressed to older readers, is teenager Malina. The girl is growing up without a father, and frequent moves related to her mum’s work give rise to a sense of instability and make it difficult to build lasting relationships. Still, the protagonist gets involved in the goings-on at school, advocates for justice and gradually discovers her family’s history. Oh Melba is part of “Trylogia pieniawska” (The Pieniawa Trilogy), along with “Stan podgorączkowy” (Raised Temperature) and “Będę u Klary” (I’ll be at Clara’s).

In 1983, Grażyna Bąkiewicz became the laureate of the National Children’s Tale Competition. In 2002, Oh Melba was awarded the First Prize of the Polish Section of IBBY in the Book of the Year category. The novel Gherkin was declared the Book of the Autumn 2004 by the Poznań Review of New Publications and the Ossolineum Library. The historical novel Mieszko, You Viking! received a distinction at the Kornel Makuszyński Competition, and “Muchy w butelce” (Flies in a Bottle) brought the author a nomination for the “Srebrny Kałamarz” (Silver Inkwell) in 2008.