Witcher’s Andrzej Sapkowski: ‘Sky Is the Limit’ for Future Prequel Books

Following the English-language release of his latest novel, Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski has opened up about the future of the franchise that made him a global literary phenomenon. In a wide-ranging email interview conducted by IGN, the nearly 80-year-old creator of The Witcher books — alongside English translator David French — discussed the prequel Crossroads of Ravens, the challenges of writing Geralt of Rivia’s youth, and where the sprawling Witcher universe might head next.

Released last September, Crossroads of Ravens offers readers their first proper look at Geralt’s earliest days as a monster hunter, tracing his coming-of-age on the Continent before he became the hardened witcher of the main saga. The interview, which ran across a series of pointed questions about narrative craft, translation, and the franchise’s multimedia expansion, gave fans a rare window into the author’s process — and his willingness to entertain unconventional ideas for the world beyond the page.

Stepping Back Into a Younger Geralt

Writing a prequel demanded a deliberate shift in perspective for Sapkowski, who found the prospect of inhabiting an 18-year-old’s mindset both difficult and rewarding. “It’s not easy for an author nearly 80 years old to step into the shoes of an eighteen-year-old teenager,” he explained. “Fortunately, I still remember a thing or two from my youth. Including some experiences I shall never forget.”

For the author, the appeal lay in portraying a Geralt who is not yet the infallible force of the main series. “The narrative premise of my books makes Geralt a product of a targeted mutation making him a kind of superman,” Sapkowski said. “However, such a superman – always victorious, never defeated, omniscient and never doubting – seemed to me narratively uninteresting – if not outright boring. Therefore, despite all the infallibility resulting from his mutation, in the plot I gave Geralt some fallibilities, i.e. some imperfections.”

“A short story is a straight line, while a novel is a plane. Point A to point B versus A times B squared. A comparison vivid enough to explain everything.”

Andrzej Sapkowski

That distinction between short stories and full-length novels underpinned much of the conversation, particularly given that The Last Wish remains a fan favourite. Sapkowski confirmed he is considering returning to the format, noting that while it is “much more difficult than writing a novel,” a well-executed collection is “proof of writing mastery.”

‘Sky Is the Limit’

When pressed on whether Geralt’s formative years could be explored further in future prequel books, Sapkowski’s answer was unequivocal. “Room? Sky is the limit,” he said — a phrase that has since become the interview’s defining line.

The discussion also touched on the franchise’s expansion into new formats. Asked whether he would consider a stage production akin to Game of Thrones, Sapkowski raised the possibility of a musical with dry amusement: “Does a musical count as a stage play? If so, there were already two. What else? I am open to suggestions. Even unconventional ones.”

On Geralt’s enduring cross-medium appeal — from page to screen to controller — Sapkowski declined to speculate. “It is not my place to judge nor draw any conclusions here,” he said. “Surely, one might suspect that both the books and the character somehow appeal to the reader worldwide – but perhaps that assumption is too presumptuous?”

Meanwhile, translator David French offered insight into the craft of carrying Sapkowski’s distinctive voice across the language barrier. Sapkowski’s Polish prose blends classical Latin phrasing, modern slang, and dry irony — a habit French has playfully dubbed “linguistic snobbery.” Describing his process, French said he works through “thinking up possibilities, giving myself options, searching for synonyms, reading them aloud to myself, drafting, re-drafting and coming back to hear if they sound right.”

One particular challenge was the monster name Zatrawiec, which French rendered as cynocephalus in English. “That was a bit of a headache,” he admitted. Beyond individual phrases, French’s overriding goal was to preserve the emotional pull of the original: “Sapkowski’s work has to be a ripping yarn in English, just as it is in Polish. I want readers in English to keep turning those pages over and get the same emotional experience as Polish readers do.”

Looking Ahead

When asked for a teaser about his next project, Sapkowski was characteristically coy. “I would prefer not to,” he said. “Begging your pardon.”

Crossroads of Ravens is available now in paperback in the UK, priced at £9.49 (down from £10.99), and arrives September 29 in the US at $15 (down from $20). As the Witcher franchise continues to grow across games, television, comics, and beyond, the author’s willingness to explore new territories — and his insistence that the sky is the limit — suggests the Continent is far from done being chronicled.

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Witcher’s Andrzej Sapkowski: ‘Sky Is the Limit’ for Future Prequel Books