Svetlana Makarovič facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Svetlana Makarovič
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| Born | 1 January 1939 Maribor, Slovenia |
| Occupation | Writer, poet, actress, illustrator and chanteuse |
| Nationality | Slovenian |
Svetlana Makarovič (born 1 January 1939) is a talented Slovenian writer. She writes stories, poems, and books for children and adults. She is also an actress, an illustrator, and a singer. People often call her "The First Lady of Slovenian poetry." She is known for using old Slovenian folk tales to create new stories about strong and independent women. Her books for young people are now considered important modern classics in Slovenian youth literature. She received the Levstik Award for her amazing work in 2011.
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About Svetlana Makarovič
Svetlana Makarovič finished high school in Ljubljana, where she studied to become a teacher for young children. In the early 1960s, she started studying many different subjects. These included psychology (how the mind works), education, ethnology (the study of cultures), and foreign languages.
She also played the piano in cafes. For a short time, she worked as a secretary and a teacher for children with special needs. In 1968, she finished her studies at the Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, Ljubljana. Svetlana Makarovič then worked as an actress in the Ljubljana city Theatre and the Slovene National Theatre, Ljubljana. Since 1970, she has been a freelance writer, meaning she writes full-time for herself.
Her Creative Works
Writing for Adults
Svetlana Makarovič began sharing her writing in magazines and newspapers in 1957. Her very first poem, In the Black Pavement, was published in a magazine called Mlada pota (which means "Young Paths"). She also published poems in other magazines like Naša sodobnost ("Our Contemporaneity") and Sodobnost ("Contemporaneity").
Her first collection of poems, called Somrak ("Twilight"), came out in 1964. Her early poems followed the popular styles of Slovenian poetry at the time. In her collection Kresna noč ("The Midsummer Night"; 1968), she used traditional poem styles to share her own feelings. Her poems, which often use ideas from folk poetry, talk about the challenges people face in modern life. Later, in the 1970s, her poems became more direct and often had a sad or ballad-like mood. Some of her most important poetry collections are Srčevec ("The Heart Potion"; 1973) and Izštevanja ("Count Out"; 1977). In 2002, she self-published a poem collection called Samost ("Aloneneness").
In February 2012, Svetlana Makarovič published a fairy tale called Sneguročka ("Snegurochka"). This story was inspired by the Russian fairy tale character of the same name. Svetlana Makarovič has always loved Russian traditions since she was a child.
Writing for Young People
Svetlana Makarovič started writing for young people after 1970. In her stories, she created her own special style. She often gave her characters unique names, like Zofka the Witch, Emily the Hen, and Mishmash the Baker. These characters often have special qualities, like leaving home or being an orphan.
Svetlana Makarovič mostly writes modern animal stories. These include picture books like Pekarna Mišmaš ("The Mishmash Bakery"; 1974) and Sapramiška ("Skipmouse"; 1976). She also wrote collections like Take živalske ("Such Animal Ones"; 1973) and Veveriček posebne sorte ("A Special Kind of Squirrel"; 1994). In these stories, the main characters are animals who live in their own special world. They act and talk like humans. The stories show real-life situations, including characters who might be mean, selfish, or jealous. This means the animal characters sometimes feel lonely, sad, or hopeless.
She also writes fantastic stories, like Haramija (2005). Some of her well-known fantastic stories are Kosovirja na leteči žlici ("Cosies on the Flying Spoon"; 1974) and Mi, kosovirji ("We, Cosies"; 2009). In these tales, the storyteller supports characters who want to be free and don't like strict rules. Many of her works have also been recorded, like Pekarna Mišmaš (1976) and Sapramiška (1986).
Her Works in Schools
Many of Svetlana Makarovič's works are recommended for the Curriculum for Slovene language (2011) in schools. Some of these include: Jaz sem jež ("I'm a Hedgehog"), Čuk na palici ("A Screech Owl on a Stick"), Pismo ("A Letter"), Sovica Oka ("Big-Eyes the Little Owl"), Pekarna Mišmaš ("The Mishmash Bakery"), and Coprnica Zofka ("Zofka the Witch").
Music and Songs
Svetlana Makarovič has also published books of chansons (a type of song), such as Krizantema na klavirju ("Chrysanthemum on Piano"; 1990). She has performed her own songs at special concerts for invited guests. Her chansons often talk about family life, social customs, and how people behave. They are similar to her poems but often have more humor.
She has recorded albums where she sings her own chansons. These include Nočni šanson ("Night chanson" - 1984) and Namesto rož ("Instead of Flowers" - 1999). She also wrote the words for some popular songs, like Na na na for Neca Falk and V Ljubljano for Marjana Deržaj.
Working with the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre
Svetlana Makarovič's play Sovica Oka was first performed at the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre in 1972. Her puppet show Sapramiška has been performed more times than any other show there. It first opened on 17 October 1986. Svetlana Makarovič has worked with the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre in many ways. She has written stories, composed music, adapted texts, and even designed puppets and sets. Sometimes, she even performed in the shows herself! She has been part of 31 shows and has traveled to perform in Italy, Austria, Mexico, Australia, and Croatia.
Some of Her Stage Works
- Sovica Oka, 1972 (author and adaptation) (Oka the Owl)
- Hiša tete Barbare, 1975 (author) (The Aunt Barbara's House)
- Pekarna Mišmaš, 1977 (author, text adaptation) (The Mishmash Bakery)
- Sapramiška, 1986 (author, roles, music) (Skipmouse)
- Mi, kosovirji, 1988 (author, text adaptation) (We, the Cosies)
- Korenčkov Palček, 1989 (author, roles, music, puppet design) (The Carrot Dwarf)
- Kokoška Emilija, 1997 (direction, author, role, music) (Emily the Hen)
Discography
Albums
- Nočni šanson (1984)
- Dajdamski portreti (1985)
- Pelin žena (with Dennis González) (1986) COBISS 1408311
- Namesto rož (1999) COBISS 8253751
Awards and Recognition
Special Recognition
- 2011: She was named a Freewoman of Ljubljana, which is a great honor from the city.
Awards
- 1968: Yugoslavian award Sterijino pozorje
- 1975: Levstik Award
- 1976: Prešeren Fund Award
- 1987: Janusz Korczak Honour List
- 1994: Jenko Award
- 1994: IBBY Honour List
- 1998, 2000, 2002: Nominated for the Andersen Award (a very important international award for children's authors)
- 2000: Prešeren Award (Slovenia's highest award for artistic achievement)
- 2002: Viktor for her life's work
- 2009: Golden Order for Merits of the Republic of Slovenia
- 2011: Levstik Award (for her entire life's work)
- 2012: Golden Coin of Poetry
- 2021: Ježek Award
See also
In Spanish: Svetlana Makarovič para niños
