To help all children
sleep well and tight,
Let us read them stories
without violence every night.
Jolanta Horodecka-Wieczorek
Horodecka-Wieczorek Jolanta– an author of fantasy literature and fairy tales for children (without violence)
She was born and lives in Piotrków Trybunalski. She is an author of fantasy literature (novels, short stories) and of over 160 fairy tales and children’s stories in verse and in prose, forty-eight of which have appeared on the domestic and the international market in more than 865 thousand copies. All her works for children are marked with the emblem ‘Stories Without Violence’.
Awards and distinctions:
2005: Special Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for her extensive and educative output in the area of children’s literature.
2006: a medal awarded by the Mayor of Piotrków Trybunalski for popularizing Polish culture and promoting Polish literature in Poland and abroad.
2007: nomination to the title of ‘An Extraordinary Polish Woman’ (Foundation under the patronage of, among others, Mrs Maria Kaczyńska and the Przyjaciółka (‘Friend’) magazine).
2010: the writer took up the honourable function of the Ambassador of the Society of the Queen of Apostles’ Children’s Hospice in Mława.
2011: Special Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (as above). The letter of congratulations is available on the author’s website: www.jhw.com.pl.
2012: a medal – a badge of honour ‘Of Merit to Polish Culture’ awarded by Mr Bogdan Zdrojewski, Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The minister’s letter of congratulations is enclosed.
2014: The Great Encyclopaedia of the World’s Polonia, in which the author’s biographical note was included in recognition of her literary output and her engagement for the world’s Polonia (Polish emigrant communities) in a broad sense.
2015: on 7 November, 2015, at the 10th International Congress of the World Society for the Polonia’s Cultural Heritage, the writer was honoured with a diploma and a medal in recognition of her merit to Poles abroad and the said Society
2016: at the International Congress of the World’s Polonia, the author was appointed the 2nd vice-chairwoman of the Commission for Cooperation with Polish Journalists and Writers in the USA and the European Union (excl. France) by the Secretary General of the World Polish Heritage Association,
2018 – Special Award from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for the extensive and educative output as well as for the broad promotion of the Polish literature abroad.
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS
Nieskończony wywiad (The Unfinished Interview), a novel (MOK Piotrków Trybunalski, 2001)
Podróż bez biletu (A Journey without a Ticket), a short story (published in the Czwarty Wymiar (‘The Fourth Dimension’) monthly, 9/2001)
Zepsute zabawki (Broken Toys), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Krasnal i księżniczki (A Dwarf and Princesses), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Zaczarowany obrazek (The Magic Picture), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Kapryśna mrówka (The Whimsical Ant), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Mądra myszka (The Wise Little Mouse), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Ptasie kłótnie (Birds’ Quarrels), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Bałwanki (Little Snowmen), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Doktor zając (Doctor Hare), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Laleczki (Little Dolls), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2003)
Podstępny czarodziej (The Insidious Wizard), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004)
Von dem Kätzchen Susi und den Bänken, die Schuhe trugen (Of Susi the Kitten and the Benches which Wore Shoes) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Die Cremeprinzessin (The Cream Princess) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Die Eidechse und der Fuchs (The Lizard and the Fox) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Ronnie, der König (Ronnie the King) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Das Perlenkönigtum (The Pearl Kingdom) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Die magische Brille (The Magic Glasses) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Ein Bär und ein Wölkchen (A Bear and a Little Cloud) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Von einem leichtgläubigen Entlein (A Naive Little Duck) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Im Hasenland (In the Land of Hares) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Von einem alten Mann und seinem hölzernen Soldaten (Of an Old Man and his Wooden Soldier) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Von der armen Malerin (The Poor Paintress) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Wie der Winter der Fee die Märchen raubte (How the Winter Stole the Fairy Tales from the Fairy) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Ein unerwarteter Besuch (An Unexpected Visit) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Wie eine böse Hexe zur guten wurde (How a Bad Witch became Good) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Von einem Fischer, dem das Glück winkte und das Schicksal lachte (Of a Fisherman at whom Luck Waved its Hand and Fate Laughed) (Fischer Verlag, 2004)
Księżniczka z kremu (The Cream Princess), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004, republished by Buchmann, 2010)
Królowa mórz (The Queen of the Seas), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004, republished by Buchmann, 2010)
Łaciata krówka (The Little Spotted Cow), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004)
Nieśmiała wiewiórka (The Shy Squirrel), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004)
Pusta miseczka (The Empty Bowl), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004, republished by Buchmann, 2010)
Wesołe truskawki (The Magic Strawberries), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2004, republished by Buchmann, 2010, under a changed title: ‘Wesołe truskawki’ (‘The Merry Strawberries’))
Polskie bajki dobranocki (Polish Bedtime Stories), a collection of fairy tales (O-Press, 2005-2008)
Dziadek Mróz (Grandpa Frost), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2005, republished by Buchmann, 2010)
Biedna malarka (The Poor Paintress), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2005, republished by Buchmann, 2010)
Odrobinka (The Tiny One), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2005)
W śnieżnej krainie (In the Snowy Land), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2005)
Porwane kurczątko (The Kidnapped Chicken), a fairy tale (O-Press, 2005)
Wiatru tchnienie o Chopinie (The Wind’s Whisper about Chopin), a poem (Buchmann, 2010)
Fairy tales of the series Polish Bedtime Stories, published together with such well-known stories as Bolek and Lolek, Reksio (Rex the Dog) and Koziołek Matołek (Matolek the Billy-goat) (O-Press, 2004, 2005)
A science-fiction novel In the World of the Phosphorants (Polish title: W świecie Fosforantów) and two short stories: The Key to the Past (Polish title: Klucz do przeszłości) and A Journey without a Ticket (Polish title: Podróż bez biletu) (2012)
A historical fantasy (science-fiction) novel for adolescents and adults The Anthem Suspended in Time (Polish title: Hymn zawieszony w czasie) (2013)
W miasteczku krasnali (In the Town of the Dwarves), a fairy tale (WFOŚiGW, Lodz, 2015)
O kosmicznym ludku w babcinym ogródku (The Little Extraterrestrial in Granny’s Garden) (2016)
O Myszce, Burku i kiszonym Ogórku (Of the Little Mouse, Burek the Dog and the Pickled Cucumber) (2016)
Sercem pisane (Heartwritten) diptych – a collection of poetry by authors from all over the world (2015) published by Fundacja Jana Pawła II w Rzymie (John Paul II Foundation, Rome)
Wiatrowe opowieści z Kościuszką w treści (Wind tales about Kosciuszko) (2017) published by Biznes Partner Polska
O kosmicznym ludku w babcinym ogródku (2017) (The Little Extraterrestrial in Granny’s Garden) part I, 2nd edition, published by Stowarzyszenie GPP Ekologia Warsaw
Wiatru tchnienie o Chopinie (The Wind’s Whisper about Chopin) (2017), 2nd edition, published by Asocjacja Pisarzy, Artystów, Dziennikarzy i Tłumaczy w Europie (Polish Association of Authors, Journalists and Translators in Europe, APAJTE) with the seat in Paris
A story of a slice of bread and a parker house roll (2018), published by Bilioteka Moszczenica
Klucz do przeszłości (The Key to the Past short story (2018) in Pamiętnik Literacki vol. LV published by the Association of Polish Writers Abroad with the seat in London
The Little Extraterrestrial in Granny’s Garden (2018), 2nd edition, published by Stowarzyszenie GPP Ekologia Warsaw.
German language editions:
A collection of sixteen fairy tales in prose, entitled In der Welt der Märchenträume (In the World of the Fairy Tale Dreams), was published by the worldwide known publishing house Fischer Verlag in Frankfurt am Main in 2004. In the same year, Jolanta Horodecka-Wieczorek was included in the anthology Collection deutscher Erzähler (A Collection of German Storytellers, Fischer Verlag) as one of an international group of German-language authors.
The author is also a member of numerous literary associations, among others:
The Association of Polish Writers Abroad with the seat in London
She also cooperates with the World Society for the Polonia’s Cultural Heritage with the seat in Częstochowa and over ten other associations of Polish emigrants in the world
The International association of Polish Women in Sweden (honorary member)
The Poland-Europe-Polonia Foundation (honorary member)
Stowarzyszenie Reeko and Stowarzyszenie GPP Ekologia Warsaw (honorary member)
The author also collaborates with:
the World Society for the Polonia’s Cultural Heritage
the Association of Poles in Siberia with the seat in Abakan
the International Association of Polish Women in Sweden and Ukraine
the Association of Poles in Lithuania and numerous Polish communities around the world
Stowarzyszenie Reeko and Grupa Polskich Przedsiębiorców Ekologia Warsaw
Social activity:
Since 2011, the author has performed the honourable function of the Ambassador of the Society of the Queen of Apostles’ Children’s Hospice in Mława, and since 2014 she has cooperated with the newly established Children’s Hospice in Gdynia, in which a library with her books has been opened.
The author does her best to help poor, sick and disadvantaged children. She is also involved in helping homeless animals; at her authorial meetings, she often tells children how to help one another and how to care for nature and help homeless animals.
Jolanta Horodecka-Wieczorek holds many authorial meetings in Poland and abroad, during which she shares with children such values as friendship, mutual help, love for the Homeland, people and animals, and, through her fairy-tale characters, and she teaches children how to avoid danger and violence in the contemporary world. She also holds many authorial meetings with adolescents and adults, widely promoting Poland and her hometown Piotrków Trybunalski. The author currently focuses on writing and publishing poems and biographies of such Great Poles as F. Chopin, T. Kosciuszko, or J. Piłsudski, and she also writes educative fairy tales oriented at environmental protection and further used as teaching materials.
The author’s books are also presented at many international and domestic book fairs, festivals and European forums. Jolanta Horodecka-Wieczorek’s works are also published in anthologies, magazines, newspapers and many other periodicals in Poland and abroad.
On the basis of Jolanta Horodecka-Wieczorek’s literary work, a lot of A-level papers as well as master’s degree and doctoral theses are created. The author also writes reviews, commemorative stories and advertising texts.
All of Jolanta Horodecka-Wieczorek’s fairy tales and stories, marked with the emblem ‘Stories Without Violence’, convey a deep humanist message, expressed in the form of a moral. Many of the stories are made into performances in schools and kindergartens, and teachers use them as didactic materials for teaching the Polish language not only in Poland, but also, for example, in Abakan in Siberia, in Sweden, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Ukraine and Canada.
More information can be found on the author’s website: www.jhw.com.pl and in an interview available at: www.cultureave.com and Gazeta