I have been participating in about one thousand author meetings in libraries, schools, kindergartens, orphanages, bookshops and other institutions since November 2003. Meetings with readers are for me a very important source of hapiness and joy. I have always my colourful fairy clothes on. Reaction of the children can be very different: they might be delighetd „Oh, you are so beautiful”, or disappointed „Don't you have any clothes of a real witch?”. Sometimes they simply do not believe me „How it can be? A writer cannot be a fairy! Writers are dead!”
I have already received as a gift a faery ring, which makes dreams come true and is suitable for fairy clothes. During our meeting children can touch the ring, think of a dream or even tell about it, and it will come true for sure. Once a girl came to me, looked into my eyes, blew to the ring, polished it very carefully, and said: „I would like to have a horse”. „Do you live in a flat or house?” – I asked waryly. „In a flat, on the eighth floor” – she answered. „Ahaaa” – I tried to answer intelligently, but my facial expression must have been questionable because after a few seconds the girl came back, touched the ring once again and said: „O.K., I would like to have also a stable”. I remember also another child's dream. It was in the primary school in Szymonowo near Warsaw. All the children had beautiful clothes, white blouses and were sitting very politely and listening to my tales. When the time for making dreams come true came, a boy from the first class got up, touched the ring and said to my ear „I would like you to be beautiful”. I was standing there and couldn't know if it was the chance to thank or to feel insulted. I winked a few times, swallowed some spittle and asked a little bit shyly: „You would like for sure that I am ALWAYS beautiful?” So the boy winked a few times, swallowed some spittle and said half-hearted: „Yeees, more or less I meant exactly this”. My ring must be really magic as until today I have received only one complaint. A women from a Polish library, touched the ring and had a wish to pass an exam. After a few days I received the information from her that the ring should be repaired. I called her and asked „Did you fail the exam??” „No, I passed it – she answered peaceful – However, I had to learn”.
During my meetings with children I offer them a lot of plays and competitions. We laugh a lot and have a really good time. I tell them a lot of interesting stories connected with writing books and me of course.
It is possible to buy my books and receive my autograph. Some time ago during a meeting in the kindergarten „Tęczowa Kraina” in Kraków there was a long queue of children waiting for my autographs. There was also a boy standing almost at the end. When he came to me, he opened a book and asked politely „Could I receive your autograph?” „Yes, of course darling ” – I took his book, asked about his name and wrote in his book: „For Gregor, Wioletta Piasecka” and I put also my autograph there. I gave him his book back and he started to cry so loudly that a half of the kindergarten must have heard this. „Gregor! What's wrong?” – his teachers asked. „I wanted to get a real autograph and not such a doodle!” – shoutted Gregor, showing my handwriting.
A meeting which I will never forget was the one in my city- Elbląg, in the kindergarten number 10 in the Mączna Street. The meeting had a form of outdoor family event. Children, their parents and teachers from the kindergarten are really close to me as they invited me all the time to their meetings and events and read all my tales although I wasn't a famous writer. The mentioned event was full of attractions: there were a ball swimming pool, face painting, colourful train, songs competition, cake, ice creams, sausages, sweets and a kind of fabulous stall with my books. As soon as I arrived there, I saw a very long queue waiting for my books. I was writing dedications, and after I was ready with all autographs, I saw something unimaginable: although there were so many attractions, all the children were sitting on the grass and reading my books. It was really touching for me. After a few minutes the headmaster of the kindergarten came to me and said: „And all the people complain that children do not want to read!”
After a meeting in Warszawa, in the district called Śródmieście, an eight years old girl came to me and said „I read Dwie Małgosie with my mother 16 times and I will read it many times for sure” – Are you wondering now, why I love these meetings? There is no better prize for a writer than a reader who reads his books several times. Thanks to the meetings with my Readers I know for sure that it is worth to write.