Elena Farago facts for kids
Elena Farago (born Elena Paximade) was a well-known Romanian writer. She was born on March 29, 1878, and passed away on January 3, 1954. Elena Farago was especially loved for her poems and stories for children. She also translated many books from other languages into Romanian. Some of the famous authors she translated include Henrik Ibsen, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Maurice Maeterlinck.
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Her Early Life and Learning
Elena Farago was born in a town called Bârlad. Her father, Francisc Paximade, came from Tenedos and had a business selling grains. Her mother was Anastasia. Elena came from a family with Greek roots on her father's side. Through her mother, she had Greek, Turkish, and Romanian family connections.
Sadly, Elena became an orphan when she was young. She was raised by important writers like George Panu and briefly by Ion Luca Caragiale. This helped her meet other famous writers of her time, such as Alexandru Vlahuță. Between 1884 and 1890, she went to boarding schools in her hometown, but she did not finish her education there.
Later, through her husband, Francisc Farago, she met people who were interested in making society fairer for everyone. She attended talks by thinkers like Ioan Nădejde and Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea.
Her Amazing Career as a Writer
Elena Farago started her writing career in 1899. Her first poem, "Gândul trudiților," was published in a magazine called România muncitoare. Her writings also appeared in many other magazines, including Adevărul, Sămănătorul, and Luceafărul. Sometimes, she used different pen names like Fatma, Andaluza, or Ellen.
From 1921 until she passed away, Elena Farago led a special foundation in Craiova. This foundation is now known as the Elena Farago Memorial House. She also worked as an inspector, helping children's charity homes. In 1922, she even started her own magazine called Năzuința.
Books for Everyone (Especially Kids!)
Elena Farago published her first book of poems, Versuri, in 1906. She wrote more poetry books like Șoapte din umbră (1908) and Șoaptele amurgului (1920).
But she is most famous for her wonderful books for children! She wrote many poems just for kids, such as:
- Pentru copii, which came out in two parts (1913 and 1920)
- Copiilor (1913)
- Din traista lui Moș Crăciun (1920)
- Bobocica (1921)
- Să nu plângem (1921)
She also wrote lovely prose stories for children, including:
- Să fim buni (1922)
- Ziarul unui motan (1924)
- Într-un cuib de rândunică (1926)
A World of Words: Her Translations
Elena Farago was also a talented translator. This means she took books written in other languages and changed them into Romanian. She translated works by famous authors like Henrik Ibsen, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Maurice Maeterlinck. She also translated French poetry and books by Anatole France. Some of her translations appeared in magazines, while others were published in special book series.
Elena Farago won several important awards for her writing. She received prizes from the Romanian Academy in 1909 and 1921. She also won the Femina Prize in 1925 and the national prize for poetry in 1937. She is remembered as a great poet and one of the most important writers of children's literature in Romania. She passed away in Craiova. Her daughter, Coca Farago, also became a writer.
