Sienkiewicz (shen-kya'-vich), Henryk. Celebrated Polish novelist. Born in Wola Okrzejska, 1846. He was educated in Warsaw, where he studied philosophy at the university. His first literary work, consisting of a sketch of student life, entitled "In Vain," and a story "Nobody is a Prophet in His Own Country," appeared in 1872. He visited California in 1876 and, under the pen-name of "Litwos," described his experiences in letters to the "Polish Gazette" of Warsaw, which aroused much interest by their attractive style. Beginning with 1879, he published a series of dramas, stories, and Polish historical novels, which established his reputation. In 1895, he won world-wide fame with "Quo Vadis," a vivid novel of Nero's day, which was translated and dramatized in many languages. Among his works are: "With Fire and Sword," "The Deluge," "Pan Michael," "On the Field of Glory," "In Life's Whirlpool," and "In Desert and Woodland." In 1905 he was awarded the Nobel prize for literature. Died at Vevey, Switzerland, 1916.

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