The Janusz A. Zajdel Award (Nagroda imienia Janusza A. Zajdla), often called just Zajdel, is the annual award given by the Polish science fiction and fantasy fandom for the best stories published in the previous year. It was established in 1984.
It is the most prestigious of several Polish awards for that genre of literature.
Categories The winners are chosen in a vote by fans present at the annual Polcon convention from up to five nominations in each of two categories: Novel: works longer than approximately 30,000 words Short story: shorter works.
Instant-runoff voting with "No award" as one of the choices is the method used. Vote counts are not announced.
History Previously the Polish Union of Fans of Science Fiction (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Fantastyki) issued the for works of science fiction (1983-1986)."Nagroda Złotej Sepulki"
The Zajdel award was created in 1984 (to be awarded from 1985) under the name Sfinks (not to be confused with the , an award of the magazine). After the death of the first winner, Janusz A. Zajdel, in 1985, the name was changed in his memory. Zajdel's widow, Jadwiga Zajdel, has presented the award to the winners since then.
Until 1989, the award was given by Polish science fiction fan associations, voting as units; since 1990, all fans present at Polcon convention can vote. Since 1991 the system has been based on two-tier ballot, compared to the system used in the Hugo Award.
Until 1991, there was a single award given for the best story; since 1992, there are two categories: novel and short story.
The statuette given to the winners since 1991 was designed by sculptor Wiesław Bielak, professor at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts.
In 2000, several stories by Zajdel winners were translated to English in the Anthology: Chosen by Fate: Zajdel Award Winners. That volume contained the translations of Ewa Białołęcka's "Jestem Lamia", Anna Brzezińska's ('98 winner), Marek S. Huberath's "Kocia obecność", Tomasz Kołodziejczak's (excerpts from the novel; '96 winner), Feliks W. Kres's "Korona Shergardów", Andrzej Sapkowski's and Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz's "Dobra wróżka".
In 2014, a free online e-book of the stories nominated for year 2013 was made available."Opowiadania nominowane do Zajdla jako e-booki!" , July 9, 2014 (retrieved August 18, 2014)
Winners The year given is the year of publication. Since 1992, novels and short stories have been judged separately. The winners of the award are: YearNovelShort story1984Janusz Andrzej Zajdel, Paradyzja1985Marek Baraniecki, 1986no award1987no award1988Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński, Rozpad połowiczny1989no award1990Andrzej Sapkowski, Mniejsze zło1991Marek S. Huberath, 1992Feliks Wiktor Kres, Andrzej Sapkowski, Miecz przeznaczenia1993no awardAndrzej Sapkowski, W leju po bombie1994Andrzej Sapkowski, Krew elfówEwa Białołęcka, 1995Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz, Pieprzony los kataryniarzaKonrad Tomasz Lewandowski, 1996Tomasz Kołodziejczak, Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz, 1997Marek S. Huberath, Ewa Białołęcka, Błękit Maga1998Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz, Walc stuleciaAnna Brzezińska, 1999Marek S. Huberath, Gniazdo światówAntonina Liedtke, CyberJoly Drim2000Anna Brzezińska, Jacek Dukaj, Katedra2001Jacek Dukaj, Czarne oceanyAndrzej Ziemiański, 2002Andrzej Sapkowski, NarrenturmAndrzej Pilipiuk, Kuzynki2003Jacek Dukaj, Inne pieśniAndrzej Ziemiański, 2004Jacek Dukaj, Perfekcyjna niedoskonałośćAnna Brzezińska, 2005Jarosław Grzędowicz, Pan Lodowego Ogrodu, volume 1Jarosław Grzędowicz, Wilcza zamieć2006Jarosław Grzędowicz, Maja Lidia Kossakowska, Smok tańczy dla Chung Fonga2007Jacek Dukaj, LódWit Szostak, Miasto grobów. Uwertura2008Rafał Kosik, Anna Kańtoch, 2009Anna Kańtoch, , volume 1Robert M. Wegner, 2010Jacek Dukaj, Anna Kańtoch, 2011Maja Lidia Kossakowska, Jakub Ćwiek, Bajka o trybach i powrotach2012Robert M. Wegner, Robert M. Wegner, 2013Krzysztof Piskorski, Anna Kańtoch, 2014Michał Cholewa, Anna Kańtoch, 2015Robert M. Wegner, Robert M. Wegner, 2016Krzysztof Piskorski, Łukasz Orbitowski and , 2017Rafał Kosik, , 2018Robert Wegner, , 2019Radek Rak, [A Tale of the Serpent's Heart or the Second Word about Jakub Szela]Marta Potocka, "Chomik" ["Hamster"]2020Agnieszka Hałas, Czerń nie zapominaKrzysztof Matkowski and Krzysztof Rewiuk, Święci z Vukovaru2021, Michał Cholewa, Ucieczka2022Radek Rak, Michał Cholewa, Na granicy2023Istvan Vizvary, Lagrange. Listy z ZiemiAgnieszka Hałas, Świerszcze w soli2024LaureatesNagroda Fandomu Polskiego im. Janusza A. Zajdla list of nominations for year 2024 (retrieved May 15, 2025 Andrzej Sapkowski, Crossroads of Ravens Aleksandra Janusz, Dlaczego nie ma klanu kruka
Winner summaries
2019: Radek Rak, Baśń o wężowym sercu...
The novel is loosely based on the legends about Jakub Szela, the leader of a 1846 peasant uprising known as the Galician slaughter. It gained several other literary awards.
2019: Marta Potocka, "Chomik" Marta Potocka is a young writer, with several short stories. She works as a programmer. Her winning work "Chomik" ["Hamster"] was published in the e-zine , no. 5, 2019. The story is set in the near future Poland. The heavily criticized Social Insurance Institution is closed and the basic social security payment is introduced to everybody subject to the condition that to qualify for it the person must join the program of Social Monitoring. The Social Insurance Institution is replaced with the Social Balance Institution, whose function is to control that people spend as much money as possible. Those who do not want to spend are called "hamsters", i.e., "hoarders". An employee of SII tries to handle a particularly tough "hamster" and fails, but instead uncovers a much larger problem. Radek Rak i Marta Potocka laureatami Nagrody im. Janusza A. Zajdla za 2019 rok Chomik is available online.Chomik, Marta Potocka
References
External links
The Award homepage (in Polish) Janusz A. Zajdel Award Winners at Goodreads