Joanna Olech
Joanna Olech is a Polish graphic artist and author of books for children and young people. She also writes articles about children's literature. Since 2007, she has been on the board of the Polish Section of the International Board on Books for Young People. She is the co-author of Polish Scientific Publishers PWN Polish-language textbooks for junior high-school students.
Early life
Olech was born in Warsaw on 26 December 1955. She is the daughter of, a television journalist, and Janina née Cembrzyńska, an editor of popular science books. Her sister is the film set designer. Olech graduated in graphic design from the She is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw. In 1980, she married the graphic artist and, in 1991, Grzegorz Olech, a mathematician and furniture designer.Writing
Olech is the author of a recognised series of books about the adventures of Pompon the Dragon Fiś family, stories about what appears to be an ordinary family and its extraordinary charge. She is particularly known for the attention she pays to the design of her books. Many of her books have been published in Spanish as well as in Polish. In addition to her own publications, Olech writes about children’s literature in the magazine, Tygodnik Powszechny, the newspaper, Rzeczpospolita, the journal, Nowe Książki, and in the daily newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.Her own works include:Dynastia Miziołków, 1994:Gdzie diabeł mówi: Do usług! 1997:Trudne słówka: Niepoważny słowniczek dynastii Miziołków, 2002Pompon w rodzinie Fisiów, 2007Kiedy byłam mała. Kiedy byłem mały, 2010Pulpet i Prudencja: Smocze Pogotowie Przygodowe, 2010Bal przebierańców, 2011Tadek i spółka, 2012Tarantula, Klops i Herkules, 2012Pompon na wakacjach, 2013Tytus - superpies, 2013:ArcyBolek, 2014Mam prawo i nie zawaham się go użyć!, 2014Tytus w cyrku, 2014Ząb czarownicy, 2015Bal piłkarzy, 2016Poppintrokowie: Opowiadania z magią i dreszczem, 2016Porwanie, 2016Szkoła na Dobrej, 2021Miziołki wracają czyli Kaszydło rządzi, 2022Tym razem ci się upiekło!, 2022Bolek i Lolek szukają skarbu. Bajka o wychodzeniu z tarapatów, 2023Kajtek. Bajki mają moc, 2023Guzik. Bajki mają moc, 2023
Other activities
Olech serves as an expert for the Polish Film Institute to assess grant applications and, since 2021, has been a member of the jury of the Hestia Literary Journey competition, which honours the best Polish books written for children and young people aged between 10 and 15. The competition is organized by the Hestia Artistic Journey Foundation, together with the Wisława Szymborska Foundation.Awards and Distinctions
- 1995: Miziołków Dynasty - Kornel Makuszyński Literary Award, for Dynastia Miziołków
- 1996: Miziołków Dynasty - Children's Bestseller of the Year, for Dynastia Miziołków
- 2006: Pink Piglet - Book of the Year 2006
- 2014: In 2014, 50 of the benches in Planty Park in Kraków had a name plate added to them of an author who either came from or was connected with Kraków. A further 50 were added a year later. Next to the name was a QR code, which enabled people to access brief information about the author and read an excerpt from the author's work. This was one of the activities associated with the Kraków UNESCO City of Literature celebrations of that year. Olech was one of those recognised in this way.