Małgorzata Kalicińska met with residents of Bolesławiec at the Wedding Palace on December 2. The well-known writer, author of the bestseller “House by the River,” among other works, came to our city at the invitation of Józefa and Marek Witas, owners of the Agora bookstore.
Małgorzata Kalicińska made her debut very late—only at the age of 50. When her company began to collapse, she picked up a pen to give an outlet to her negative emotions. She owes it to her daughter that her texts were sent to publishers. Several publishing houses responded.
When her first book was published, the debut author dreamed that at least 3,000 copies would be sold. Reality exceeded her wildest dreams. So far, “House by the River” has sold at least 50,000 copies. A reprint of the novel was necessary. What is more, the novel was also honored with the prestigious booksellers’ award “Witryna 2006.”
“Returns by the River,” the bestseller’s sequel, is no less popular. At the meeting in Bolesławiec town hall, the writer revealed that a third book about the lives of the characters from the house by the river would also be written. But after that, she wants to write something completely different.
What explains the enormous success of an author who had previously been unknown? In Małgorzata Kalicińska’s view, countless sophisticated books are published nowadays, while readers sometimes need something unpretentious—magical stories about ordinary life.
At the meeting, the writer said that she considers herself a feminist, but one who consciously chose to be a mother and a homemaker. She also said that the happiest period of her life was her parental leave. As she revealed, “House by the River” includes several characters based on real people, but many of the characters were made up. Małgosia from “House...” is not, contrary to appearances, the writer’s alter ego. “In the book I use the diminutive Gosia, which I don’t like,” the author explained. This does not change the fact that the work contains many autobiographical elements. For example, the novel’s Basia was inspired by the writer’s step-aunt. “I tried to make the readers love her,” Małgorzata Kalicińska noted.
The meeting was attended overwhelmingly by women. However, the author of “Returns by the River” does not agree with pigeonholing her work in this way. As it turns out, Kalicińska’s novels also appeal to men. One businessman wrote that after reading “House by the River,” he wanted to quit his job and go fishing. This literature is meant to do precisely that: bring warmth and comfort to readers.
(GA report)