Joanna Chmielewska

Joanna Chmielewska was the pen name of Irena Kühn, a Polish novelist and screenwriter. Her work is often described as "ironic detective stories". Her novels, which have been translated into at least nine languages, have sold more than 6 million copies in Poland and over 10 million copies in Russia. She was also an architect and worked on several projects in Warsaw. She loved horse races and gambling, both hobbies are mentioned extensively in her books. She was also a connoisseur of amber, a passion which forms the basis for her 1998 novel The Golden Fly. She wrote more than fifty novels, most frequently featuring a woman called Joanna that inherits many characteristics from Chmielewska herself. She also often wrote about Joanna's friends, co-workers or family. She died on 7 October 2013.