Scholar publishes bestselling cybercrime thriller

  • February 5, 2019
Scholar publishes bestselling cybercrime thriller

Jakub Szamalek's new thriller novel has provoked a widespread discussion in Poland about the dangers of cybercrime.

A Gates Cambridge Scholar has published a bestselling book on cybercrime in Poland.

Jakub Szamalek’s new book, Cokolwiek Wybierzesz [Whatever you choose], was published in January and is already on the bestseller list in Poland.

It is thought to be the first book to seriously tackle the issues of cybercrime in Poland and has provoked a lively debate about the dangers related to internet activity.  It has also brought the attention of Polish film producers, three of whom are vying for screen rights to the book.

The book is a thriller about the death of a tv personality. A journalist investigates and finds that what was billed as an accident is something far more frightening. It highlights the amount of information stored about individuals online and how our every move on the web is tracked.

Jakub [2009], who did his PhD in Classics at Cambridge, focusing on the relations between the Greeks and the indigenous peoples inhabiting the Black Sea region, nurtured his writing ambitions alongside his studies, starting a blog on ancient art in the first year of his PhD.  

His first crime thriller, When Athena looks away, which was published to critical acclaim in Poland, was a crime novel set in ancient Athens, drawing on his knowledge of and enthusiasm for the ancient world.

In 2014 he was named one of the top 100 leaders of innovation in Central and Eastern Europe. The list was compiled by Res Publica, in cooperation with the Visegrad Fund, Google and the Financial Times, as well as dozens of institutions from Central and Eastern Europe.

At the time he was a senior writer at CD Projekt Red where he worked on new video games. Now a principal writer, the games he has worked on include The Witcher, which is based on a book series by Polish science-fiction cult author Andrzej Sapkowski. It is described as one of the most successful Polish products of its type.

Jakub and fellow Gates Cambridge scholar Maria Pawlowska [2007] are married and have a child together.

Jakub Szamalek

Jakub Szamalek

  • Alumni
  • Poland
  • 2009 PhD Classics
  • Clare College

First and foremost, I’m a Hellenophile – that is, I’m fascinated by the archaeology, art and history of Ancient Greece. Whilst in Cambridge I will study the material remains of Greek settlements in the Black Sea area. I’m particularly interested in the nature of the relations between the Greeks and the indigenous peoples inhabiting this region.

Links

http://www.jakubszamalek.pl
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakub-szamalek-039aba51
http://www.sztukaantyku.blog.pl

Maria Pawlowska

Maria Pawlowska

  • Alumni
  • Poland
  • 2007 PhD Earth Sciences
  • Clare College

Science policy and administration expert with a focus on research and development management, quantum technologies. data management and international relations.

Links

https://www.visnea.org/team
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-pawlowska-a77ab334

Latest News

The process of history-making

Olin Moctezuma-Burns [2020] is keen not to repeat the patterns of some past researchers and to give back to the communities she studies. For that reason she recently co-organised an international gathering of Imagining Futures projects on archiving indigenous and traditional knowledges in Sotuta, Yucatan. The meeting brought together people from Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, […]

How might extreme heat contribute to human migration?

Rising temperatures due to climate change are likely influencing human migration patterns, according to a new study co-authored by Gates Cambridge Scholar Dr Kim van Daalen [2018]. The study, led by Rita Issa of University College London, is published today in the open-access journal PLOS Climate. It looks at the role of heat in human […]

Scholar scoops prestigious science innovation fellowship

Freja Ekman has been named one of the 2023 class of Hertz Fellows as the prestigious fellowship celebrates its 60th year. The 15 fellowships in applied science, engineering and mathematics are awarded by Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, a non-profit organisation for innovators in science and technology. Winners will have their graduate studies funded for […]

Scholar hosts first UN communications technology access meeting in India

Gates Cambridge Scholar Pradipta Biswas has hosted a UN meeting on improving access to communications technology – the first ever held in India. The meeting of ITU-T Study Group 9 (SG-9) on “Broadband Cable and Television/Audiovisual content transmission and integrated broadband cable networks”  was held in May at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru […]