Painting of Henryk Sienkiewicz by Kazimierz Pochwalski (1855–1940), retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
Henryk Sienkiewicz
[Litwos] , 1846 - 1916
An eminent writer, journalist, social activist, one of the most popular Polish authors of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, pen-name Litwos. Dedicated and experienced traveller, he was knowledgeable about Antiquity. In 1876–1878, he was a correspondent for “Gazeta Polska” in North America, mainly in California. In 1874–1878, he was a co-owner of the scientific-literary magazine “Niwa,” in 1882–1887 he worked as editor of the conservative journal “Słowo.” He became famous as novelist focusing on the history of 17th-century Poland. His best known historical novels are Trylogia [The Trylogy]: Ogniem i mieczem [With Fire and Sword], 1884, Potop [The Deluge], 1886, and Pan Wołodyjowski [Sir Michael], 1888; other famous novels include a narrative of the time of Nero, Quo vadis?, 1896; a book on the war between Jagiellonian Poland and the Teutonic Knights Krzyżacy [The Knights of the Cross], 1900; a popular adventure story for young people W pustyni i w puszczy [In Desert and Wilderness], 1912. He wrote also short stories, e.g. Szkice wę̨glem [Sketches in Charcoal], 1877, Janko Muzykant [Janko the Musician], 1878, Latarnik [Lighthouse Keeper], 1881, and many others. For years many of his books have been compulsory and suggested readings at school. In 1905, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for lifetime achievement as an epic writer. Many of Sienkiewicz books were made into films.
Sources:
"Sienkiewicz Henryk", in Nowa Encyklopedia Powszechna A–Z, Kraków: Krakowskie Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 2010, 877.
"Sienkiewicz Henryk", in Encyklopedia Popularna PWN, Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1982, 706.
Julian Krzyż̇anowski, Twórczość Henryka Sienkiewicza, Warszawa: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1970.
Radosław Najdyhor, Henryk Sienkiewicz – życie i twórczość, sienkiewicz.ovh.org (accessed: Septemper 30, 2020).
Bio prepared by Agata Więcławska, University of Warsaw, a.wieclawska@student.uw.edu.pl
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