Lojze Kovačič facts for kids

Lojze Kovačič (born November 9, 1928 – died May 1, 2004) was a famous writer from Slovenia. He wrote in the Slovene language. One of his most important books is a novel called The Newcomers (Prišleki). Many people think it's one of the best Slovene novels from the 1900s. It has been translated into several languages, like German, French, Spanish, and Dutch.

About Lojze Kovačič

Lojze Kovačič was born in 1928 in Basel, Switzerland. His father was Slovene, and his mother was German. In 1938, his family had to leave Switzerland. This happened because his father was very proud of his Slovene heritage and did not want to become a Swiss citizen.

The family first moved to a countryside area called Lower Carniola. Later, they moved to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This was just when World War II was starting.

Life During and After World War II

In 1944, Lojze's father passed away. This meant Lojze had to help support his family. After the war ended, things became difficult for his family. Because they were partly German, people were suspicious of them. His whole family, except for Lojze, was forced to leave the country.

Lojze stayed in Slovenia. He often had problems with the government at the time.

Education and Career

In 1962, Lojze Kovačič finished his studies at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ljubljana. He studied Slavic and Germanic languages.

He started working as a teacher in Ljubljana. He taught art and puppetry, which is the art of making and using puppets. From 1978 until he retired in 1989, he also taught about literature.

Becoming a Recognized Writer

Lojze Kovačič became well-known as a writer in the 1970s. Many of his novels are about his own life experiences. He received many important awards for his writing. These include the Prešeren Award in 1973 and the Kresnik Award for best novel in 1991 and 2004.

Besides books for adults, he also wrote many books for children and young people. Lojze Kovačič passed away in Ljubljana in 2004.

His Books

Kristalni čas (Crystal Time), a novel from 1990

Lojze Kovačič wrote many different kinds of books. Here are some of his most famous works:

Books for Adults

• Ljubljanske razglednice (Postcards from Ljubljana), short stories (1956)
• Ključi mesta (Keys to the City), short stories (1967)
• Deček in smrt (A Boy and Death), novel (1968)
• Sporočila v spanju – Resničnost (Messages in Dreams: Reality) (1972)
• Pet fragmentov (Five Fragments) (1981)
• Prišleki (The Newcomers), a three-part novel (1983–1985)
• Basel (1986)
• Prah (Dust), novel (1988)
• Kristalni čas (Crystal Time), novel (1990)
• Zgodbe s panjskih končnic (Stories from Beehive Panels) (1992)
• Vzemljohod (The Descent) (1993)
• Književna delavnica – šola pisanja (The Workshop: A School of Writing) (1997)
• Otroške stvari (Things of Childhood), novel (2003)
• Zrele reči (Things of Maturity), novel (published after he died in 2009)

Books for Children and Young Readers

• Novoletna zgodba (A New Year's Tale) (1958)
• Zgodbe iz mesta Rič-Rač (Tales from the Town of Rič-Rač) (1962)
• Fantek na oblaku (A Boy on a Cloud) (1969)
• Potovanje za nosom (Following your Nose) (1972)
• Možiček med dimniki (A Man among the Chimneys) (1974)
• Najmočnejši fantek na svetu (The Strongest Boy in the World) (1977)
• Dva zmerjalca (A Pair of Scolders) (1979)
• Rdeča kapica (Little Red Riding Hood) (1979)
• Zgodba o levih in levčku (The Tale of the Lions and the Lion Cub) (1983)
• Zgodbe iz mesta Rič-Rač in od drugod (Tales from the Town of Rič-Rač and Elsewhere) (1994)

See also

In Spanish: Lojze Kovačič para niños

Publications by and about Lojze Kovačič in the catalogue Helveticat of the Swiss National Library