At a recent panel at the Opole Book Festival, ‘The Witcher’ author Andrzej Sapkowski touched on a range of topics from the creative liberties taken in adaptations to his future writing plans. Although his latest book, Crossroads of Ravens, debuted in Poland last year and is set to release internationally in 19 countries this September, Sapkowski revealed that he’s already gearing up to write more stories set in the Witcher universe. Early in the discussion, before anyone even brought it up, Andrzej Sapkowski made it clear that he plans to continue writing. He drew a pointed comparison to George R. R. Martin’s long-delayed ‘The Winds of Winter’, saying: “If anyone in the audience asks that kind of question, I’ll tell you right now: I will write something else. Relax. No need to fear. And unlike George R. R. Martin, whom, by the way, I know personally, when I say I’ll write something, I will.” Andrzej Sapkowski Confirms He’s Writing a New Book, So Fans Can Breathe Easy Sapkowski went on to explain why he empathises with Martin’s stalled progress: “And also, listen, just between us, I totally understand him. Because if someone had pulled a stunt like that on me, filming a series based on my books, and then getting ahead of what I intended to write, I’d also be wondering whether there’s any point in writing anymore. If it’s already been done, right? Makes no sense. It’s nice when they adapt your work, that’s the author’s bloody right, but to adapt what doesn’t exist yet, to extrapolate like that? That’s just indecent.” Sapkowski Reflects on the Boundaries of Creative Adaptations At the event, Sapkowski was asked about his thoughts on adaptations, particularly regarding Netflix’s ‘Nightmare of the Wolf’ anime, which included its own version of the Kaer Morhen pogrom—something Sapkowski canonised in ‘Crossroads of Ravens’. He responded: “I haven’t seen that series. So, I’m sorry. That’s how it is. Well, what can I say? A film has its own rules, and Netflix has even more of them. But, well… Are we really going to argue over which version is better? Good, we’re not. I’m glad. Because, for example, I know [which version is better].” Speaking more generally about the Netflix adaptations, he added: “I appear in the end credits. Which means: if I say something positive, you’ll say, ‘Well of course, the magpie praises its own tail.’ And if I say something negative, you’ll say, ‘Idiot.’ So I won’t say anything.” He continued, “When it comes to other adaptations, well, it varies. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t. Like I said, I’m not a visual person. What I write, I don’t see it. That’s the truth. To me, it’s just letters. Nothing more. So when I suddenly see images, sometimes my jaw drops, I had no idea it could look like that. And all adaptations, by their nature, are visual. So we’re working in that visual realm. And it does happen, well, there have been disagreements. And usually it ends with a short statement: ‘You don’t know shit about visual arts.’ To which I had to shut up, because it’s true, I don’t know shit about visual arts.” Sapkowski further reflected on an author’s place in adaptations by sharing an anecdote, “I once spoke at a convention in the Czech Republic with Harry Harrison. He’s no longer with us, you know, ladies and gentlemen, God rest his soul, requiescat in pace. And at some point, Harry Harrison asks me if I’d seen the movie ‘Soylent Green’. I say, yes, I’ve seen it. And he asks, ‘Do you realise it’s based on my novel, Make Room! Make Room!?’ I said, of course, I realise that, because I’ve read the novel too. ‘Aha,’ he says, ‘so what do you think of the movie?’ I say, it’s total crap. And he says, ‘Yeah, I think so too, it’s total crap.’ And I go, ‘Well, Harry, did you give the money back?’ ‘No.’ ‘Well then, hush.’ So that’s how it is, unfortunately. That’s how it is. So Martin still isn’t writing, probably because he got offended that they filmed the continuation [of ‘Game of Thrones’], but I bet he didn’t give the money back, knowing how life goes. I wouldn’t have given it back.” ‘The Witcher’ Season 4 has entered post-production and is on track for a 2025 release. Andrzej Sapkowski’s latest Witcher novel, ‘Crossroads of Ravens’, is already available in Poland and is set to launch internationally in September 2025. Meanwhile, CD Projekt Red has officially moved ‘The Witcher 4’ into full production.