Andrzej Sapkowski Mentions Vodka as Metric for New Witcher Book Price

We currently live in the Digital Age, where a few seconds are enough for technology to accomplish what used to take hours (or even months and years). Along with that, the internet has completely reshaped how we communicate and consume information – I mean, TikTok videos dominate our lunch breaks, news travels the world in the blink of an eye, and AI is constantly optimizing (or even replacing, *cough* *cough*) human work.

Consequently, habits that belonged to a slower world are being gradually sidelined by younger generations, and reading books is one of them, which has naturally sparked concern (and a bit of lamenting) from renowned writers like Andrzej Sapkowski, the legendary Polish creator of The Witcher.

The 55th edition of the famous Foire du Livre de Bruxelles, one of Belgium's largest book fairs, concluded yesterday, March 29. And this year’s theme was quite interesting: “Défier le futur” (which means “challenging the future”), so there were a lot of attractions with famous and relevant writers.

One of the main attractions was a press conference with Andrzej Sapkowski, who was true to his reputation of being blunt and straight to the point, and shared some very brief insights into his current work (thanks, GRYOnline).

He basically confirmed that he is working on a brand-new book, which is incredibly exciting for fans. However, he didn't reveal a single specific detail, claiming the project is still a “secret.” Instead, he used the moment to share some sharp reflections on why people are losing interest in reading today, pointing to pricing as one of the culprits.

“Readership is declining, and that's an obvious fact. There are many reasons. The primary, if not the only, reason is the price of books,” Sapkowski explained. “Anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. If books were priced appropriately, based on proper economic calculations... then readership would be rising, not falling. It's falling now, and it will continue to fall.”

When asked about the “ideal” price for a book, his answer was peak Sapkowski: “No more than 20 złoty (the Polish currency). I've always maintained that, since it's a matter of preference and choice, a book can't cost more than half a liter of vodka.”

It’s certainly a curious statement, but there is a spark of truth behind it when you look at the numbers. Currently, 500ml of vodka in Poland costs between 25 and 40 złoty, while new books (and special editions of old ones) are often launched at double that price – for instance, even Sapkowski’s latest novel, Crossroads of Ravens, was suggested by its publishing house to retail for around 65 złoty.

It is definitely an interesting perspective to debate, especially coming from someone as experienced as the creator of The Witcher, who remains one of the titans of literary fantasy today. If making books as affordable as a bottle of vodka is one of the reasons to save readership, maybe Sapkowski is onto something with his mysterious new book – so let’s wait and see!