2,652 books later: meet the woman behind record-breaking collection of autographed novels
A passionate book collector has transformed her love of literature into a Guinness World Records title with an incredible number of signed books to her name.
Wioleta Sadowksa (Poland) is a reading promoter and book blogger who has been collecting books since her teenage years and signed editions since 2011.
On 3 July in Zofiówka, Poland, she was verified as the holder of the largest collection of autographed books, with a total of 2,652.
We caught up with Wioleta to learn more about her and her record-breaking story.
After more than 15 years working in the book industry and attending countless book fairs and literary festivals, Wioleta says the record is the "culmination" of her passion for books.
The first autographed book in her collection was Noelka by Polish author Małgorzata Musierowicz, and her library has continued to grow ever since.
Wioleta told us: "My collection includes autographs from authors such as Graham Masterton, Cecelia Ahern, Robin Cook, and Melissa Darwood, as well as Jean Reno. I also have an autograph from Nicholas Sparks, whom I had the opportunity to meet at the 2017 Krakow Book Fair."
Her favourite book is Nowe przygody Pana Samochodzika by Zbigniew Nienacki, which helped spark her fascination with literature. Fittingly, her most prized possession is also a signed book by the late Polish author. The book was difficult to find, but she received it as a gift from one of the readers of her blog.
She keeps her entire library displayed on shelves at home, and believes it is worth between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 PLN (£198,450-£297,585; $267,984-$401,278).
It includes gifts from her loved ones and publishers, while some authors have also sent her signed volumes to add to her shelves.
The most famous author that she holds a signature from is British horror author Graham Masterton, best known for works such as The Manitou, which was published in 1976.
Read about more record-breaking collections in our dedicated section.
Wioleta described her joy at setting the Guinness World Records title, and the motivation it has given her to expand her library even further. "With this achievement, I want to show that it is worth pursuing one's dreams and that Polish reading culture has a great deal to offer the world."
One of her dreams is to get her hands on a signed Stephen King book, and she hopes that her own tale of record-breaking success might even reach him.
With her ever-growing library, we can't wait to see what Wioleta adds to her shelves next!