I was born and raised in Wrocław, Poland. English is my second language although, thanks to my wonderful and far-sighted mother, I began learning it in early childhood.
In Poland I was an academic, teaching in the English Department of the University of Wrocław. In the summer of 1981, on the eve of Solidarity crisis I received a scholarship to McGill University from where I graduated with a PhD in literature in 1988.
In 1984-86 I worked for Radio Canada International, the Polish Section, in Montreal, writing and producing radio programs about Canada. In 1988 I joined the faculty of Sheridan College (Oakville, Ontario) where I taught English and humanities courses until 2007.
It is in Canada that I became a writer. My first short story, “Marble Heroes,” was published by the Antigonish Review in 1994, and my debut novel, Necessary Lies in 2000.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Necessary Lies won the Amazon.com/Books in Canada First Novel Award in 2000.
- The Winter Palace (2012) has been bestseller in Canada, Poland and Germany.
- Empress of the Night (2014), has been a bestseller in Canada, Poland and Germany.
- The Chosen Maiden (2017) has been a Canadian bestseller.
- The School of Mirrors (2023) has been a Canadian bestseller