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Popular Slovenian author Jela Krečič has penned columns for Delo, Slovenia’s largest newspaper. Known for her research on films, TV, and aesthetics, she soared to fame with her books The Book of Others and None Like Her. She also made headlines for her 2013 exclusive interview with Julian Assange.
Slovenia’s national poet, France Prešeren was one of the pioneers of Romanticism in Europe. He also penned the first ballad and epic of his country. Though he initially studied law, he later soared to fame with works such as Sonetni venec and brought in elements of ghazal and pattern poetry to Slovenian literature.
Ivan Cankar was a Slovene writer, poet, essayist, playwright, and political activist. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of modernism in Slovene literature. Considered the greatest Slovene language writer, Cankar had a great influence on the subsequent generations of intellectuals and writers. Numerous streets, institutions, and public buildings have been named in his honor.
Slovenia’s first book, Catechismus, was said to be authored by Primož Trubar. The Protestant reformer from Rašica also founded the Protestant Church of the Duchy of Carniola. He had also written in German and was the first translator of parts of the Bible into Slovene.
Born in present-day Slovenia, author and journalist Louis Adamic moved to the US as a teenager. His books often spoke about the immigrant community in the US. Known for his works such as Laughing in the Jungle and The House in Antigua, he also traveled to Yugoslavia on a Guggenheim fellowship.
Slovenian-Serbian actor Stevo Žigon soared to fame with series such as Otpisani and often played German officers because of his knowledge of German. He was imprisoned in Dachau during World War II. He was also a talented playwright and was inspired by poets such as Igo Gruden.
Slovenian poet Edvard Kocbek is regarded as one of the finest literary figures from his country. Known to be politically opinionated, he was dragged into a controversy later, when he offered an objective portrayal of the Partisans of World War II in his iconic work Fear and Courage.
Milan Vidmar soared to fame as one of the finest chess players of the world. One of the first chess Grandmasters, he also taught at the University of Ljubljana and was known as a talented academician and engineer who established the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Slovene Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Initially a journalist and a freelance author, Drago Jančar later worked for Slovenska matica and co-launched the journal Nova revija. Known for his modernist model of writing, he later soared to fame with his novels, short stories, and essays. He has also won awards such as the European Prize for Literature.
Alma Karlin was a Slovenian writer, traveler, poet, collector, theosophist, and polyglot. She is best remembered for her feat of becoming one of the first women from Europe to circumnavigate the globe alone. Alma Karlin is also remembered for her rich body of work that includes novels, short stories, and novellas.
Fran Levstik was a Slovene writer, playwright, political activist, and critic. He is best remembered for his itinerary and contributions to Slovene literature. Fran Levstik's works had a significant influence on future Slovene authors like Josip Jurčič, Josip Stritar, Janez Trdina, and Janko Kersnik. There is a literary award named in his honor.
Stanko Vraz was a Slovenian-Croatian poet, writer, translator, and collector of folk poems. He is best remembered as the first Croatian to make a living as a professional writer. Stanko Vraz is credited with co-founding one of Croatia's first literary magazines, Kolo. He is also remembered for translating the works of Adam Mickiewicz and Lord Byron among other foreign literature.
Jože Javoršek is a Slovenian writer, playwright, poet, essayist, and translator. A controversial personality and complex thinker, Javoršek is considered one of the greatest masters of language and style among Slovene authors. Jože Javoršek is also regarded, together with Vitomil Zupan, as the quintessential postwar generation of Slovene intellectuals.
