Books are always the best travel companions, don’t you think? Maybe Polish literature still stays in the shadow of other national European literatures but with time becomes more and more recognisable. And luckily best authors’ pieces are more and more often translated into English and other languages. Its richness and diversity is really big so to help you here is our subjective selection of 5 contemporary authors ranked among most popular in Poland. Here we go – books that will help you discover Poland prior to your trip or during your holidays!

Olga Tokarczuk

Popular and honored with numerous awards, but with the Man Booker Prize and later the literature Nobel prize in 2019 her popularity skyrocketed. Titles like Primeval and Other Times, House of Day, House of Night or The Books of Jacob are among her most popular pieces. Tokarczuk often includes mythical threads in her writing and does not avoid reopening the old wounds like she did in her historical novel The Books of Jacob, about complex Polish-Jewish relations in the 18th century Poland and eastern-central Europe or in Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead – a detective story targeted at conservative society rules and hunters community. Tokarczuk is very active in public debate about democracy, human rights and environment protection in Poland. Especially Flights, an extraordinary philosophical take on the contemporary travels and the state of our world may become your first brilliant encounter with her stunning artistic creation.

Remigiusz Mroz

Polish Stephen King, just much younger:) He’s a master of crime, legal thrillers and science fiction. Definitely recognized as the most popular contemporary Polish author in recent years. Among his emblematic characters you will find a series featuring Joanna Chyłka, Police Chief – Forst and Parabellum. Being only 33 he has already written 33 books and rumor has it that under the mask of the modest young intellectual there’s a whole team of writers hidden, “producing” new bestsellers at least twice a year:) First translations of his books are expected soon.

Mariusz Szczygiel

A celebrity among journalists and authors, not only thanks to his literary work but also because he was the co-presenter of the first talk show in Poland that started in mid 1990. He is best-known for his brilliant reportages on the Czech nation – books Gottland or later Make Your Own Paradise, but also as the editor of the anthology 100/XX: Anthology of Polish Reporting of the 20th century – an epic compilation depicting modern Poland. One of his latest book of reportages There Is No is a touching story of absence and loss in our lives.

Jakub Żulczyk

“Young” (37 yo) Polish writer and screenwriter. Author of successful novels like Do me some harm, Blinded by the Lights (that became also an HBO series) and co-author of the script to the popular TV crime series Belfer among others. His last novel Black sun is a controversial dystopian, rough vision of the future of Poland depicting arising facism.

Andrzej Sapkowski

If you think of Polish fantasy, you say: Sapkowski, having mostly in mind his iconic saga of The Witcher. Most recognisable Polish fantasy writer (maybe except for Stanisław Lem – have you read his novel Solaris or watched a movie?). What started as a story written at a request of his son has over years turned into one of the most popular culture plots and become a screenplay for a role-playing game and Netflix TV series just to name some. You may choose to read his books in of the over 20 languages they have been translated into.