Gašper Kralj

Gašper Kralj (1974) is a freelance writer and translator. He has been a committed activist, both in Slovenia and abroad in Mexico and Guatemala, where he also undertook field research for his doctoral dissertation in social anthropology, later published as a monograph Izginuli in vrnjeni (The Disappeared and the Returned) (Založba /*cf., 2008). While living in Catalonia for a few years, he translated authors writing in Spanish, researched literary fiction, and worked on his novel Rok trajanja (Expiry Date) (Založba /*cf., 2016), for which he was nominated for best debut novel and among the finalists for the Kresnik Award. For his second novel Škrbine (Stubs) (Založba /*cf., 2020), he won the 2021 Cankar Award for best original literary work and was shortlisted for the EU Prize for Literature (EUPL), and again became a finalist for the Kresnik Award. Along with co-translator Tina Malič he was nominated twice for the esAsi Award, for their translations of works by Javier Cercas and Eduardo Galeano.

Goran Vojnović

Goran Vojnović (1980), a film and TV director by training, is a screenwriter, writer and columnist. He is author of four novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages. His debut novel Čefurji raus! (Southern Scum Go Home!) (Beletrina, 2008) is one of the best-selling books of all time in Slovenia. For his second novel Jugoslavija, moja dežela (Yugoslavia, My Fatherland) (Beletrina, 2012) he received several international awards, among them also the prestigious Polish Angelus Award for best novel from Central Europe. His third novel Figa (The Fig Tree) (Beletrina) was published in 2016, and the sequel of his first novel, Đorđić se vrača (Đorđić is Back) (Beletrina, 2021). All four of his novels have been adapted to theatre plays and Vojnović himself directed a successful feature film based on his novel Čefurji raus! Last year he published a collection of autobiographical essays, Zbiralec strahov (Collector of Fears) (Goga, 2022), and a children’s book, Sinica in taščica (Bluetit and Robin) (Mladinska knjiga, 2022). He is also author of numerous theatre plays and had a regular column in the daily newspaper Dnevnik for over ten years.

Gregor Podlogar

Gregor Podlogar (b. 1974 in Ljubljana) studied philosophy, works for Slovenian radio, translates American poetry (Chr. Hawkey, A. Berrigan). 

Experimental book with the poet Primož Čučnik and the painter Žiga Kariž: Oda na manhatnski aveniji (Ode on Manhattan Avenue, 2003). Books of poetry, among others: Vrtoglavica zanosa (Dizziness of Elan, 2002) and Milijon sekund bliže (Millions of Seconds Closer, 2006). In German: Gedichte in der Anthologie Mein Nachbar auf der Wolke; Slowenische Lyrik des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts (Carl Hanser Verlag & Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, 2023).

Helena Kraljič

Helena Kraljič (1971) is a youth writer, translator, editor and publisher. She graduated in economics and then worked for several years as a radio presenter, real estate agent, accountant and auditor. Her texts are often discussed in professional works, many of her stories have been staged in theatre plays and her picture books are broadcast as cartoons in Russia and Korea. As an active publisher, she is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the SKS, and serves as Vice-President of the international association of writers, poets and publicists, SCPEN. Her children's books have been nominated for the Kristina Brenkova Award several times, her book Sofia and the Ballet Slippers won a special award for quality integration of artistic genres in 2022, and her book Dancing in a Container was awarded Best Ecological Picture Book in 2009. Her latest book, published in 2023, is Badger the expert.

Ida Mlakar Črnič

Ida Mlakar Črnič (1956) studied Slavic studies and comparative literature in Ljubljana. From 1995 until 2021 she worked in the field of bibliopedagogy at Ljubljana City Library. In 2016 she received an award from the Slovene section of IBBY for her contribution to promoting youth literature and reading. In her writing she reflects on relationships, emotions, aging, poverty, and her stories are directed at adults as well as children. Her picture book O Kravi, ki je lajala v luno (The Cow That Barked at the Moon) (Miš, 2015) won the 2016 Kristina Brenkova Original Slovene Picture Book Award and was also included on the 2016 White Ravens list. Her picture book Tu blizu živi deklica (Close to Here) (Sodobnost, 2019) was also included in the White Ravens Catalogue in 2019. The picture book Kako sta Bibi in Gusti prezvijačila hrib (How Bibi and Gusti Wanted to Climb a Hill) (Didakta, 2020), was in 2022 chosen as the book given as the gift from the Slovene Reading Badge Society to all first-year pupils. Her stories have been dramatized for an animated film, a radio play, and radio story readings. Other notable works include Ciper coper medenjaki (Magic Gingerbread) (Ajda IBO Gomboc, 2008), Kako sta Bibi in Gusti sipala srečo (How Bibi and Gusti Spread Happiness) (Didakta, 2010) and Cipercoperček (Magic Spells) (Sodobnost, 2012).

Ifigenija Simonović

Ifigenija Simonović (1953) writes poems, essays, and texts for children, translates and paints. A member of the Slovene Writers’ Association since 1980, she was President of the Slovene PEN Centre between 2017 and 2020. Most notable among her twelve poetry collections are the first, Postopna razbremenitev (Gradual Relief) (Mladinska knjiga, 1972) and latest, Bi bila drevo (Would I Be a Tree) (Mladinska knjiga, 2023), and among her four books of essays on theatre, Navzven navznoter (Outwardly, Inwardly) (MGL, 2005). She has translated into Slovene The Mastery of Movement by Rudolf Laban, To be an actor by Simon Callow, and a selection of poems by Carol Ann Duffy entitled in Slovene Grejem njene bisere (Warming Her Pearls) after one of the selected poems. One of her special projects was the transcribing and publishing of eight volumes of poetry by Vitomil Zupan, one of the key Slovene writers in the second half of the 20th century who was one of the intellectuals imprisoned by the communist regime (1948 - 54, 2400 pages, 27 completed poetry collections). Between 1978 and 2003 she lived in London and during this time preformed at four international Poetry Olympics events.

Jakob J. Kenda

Jakob J. Kenda (1973) holds a PhD in Literature and is author, translator and editor of numerous publications, as well as a renowned cultural manager. The public knows him best for the translation into Slovene of the Harry Potter series, and other YA authors and contemporary classics of English- speaking theatre for which he has received awards both at home and internationally. Recently he has published a number of award-winning travelogue novels that have become best-sellers despite the relative complexity of his writing. His debut novel Apalaška pot (The Appalachian Trail) (ISPO, 2018) was based on his 3500-kilometre trek of the eponymous American “mother of all trails” that gives an insightful view of the United States and Americans through an exciting and partially romantic story. His novel Transverzala (The Transversal Trail) (ISPO, 2020) based on his project of completing the 1200-kilometre circular trail around Slovenian mountains presents a witty mosaic of key insights into his own country and people. The third and final part of this trekking trilogy is planned for late 2024 with a working title Ta kratke (The Short Ones), meaning notable European hikes which present the continent and its zeitgeist, especially among the young.

Jakob Klemenčič

Jakob Klemenčič (1968) studied electrical engineering followed by art history, and he works as a librarian. He has been drawing comics since he was young; via the secondary school newspaper and youth press, he became one of the founders of the comic strip magazine Stripburger, where he joined the editorial team. Characteristic of his comics are short stories that he has, beside Stripburger, published in various Slovene and foreign magazines as well as literary anthologies (for example Black, Dirty Stories, 24 Hour Comics, Comics Sketchbooks, Zone 5300, Quadrado) as well as some in self-published, small-format brochures, the so-called ‘mini-comics’. In Alma M. Karlin – Svetovljanka iz province (Alma M. Karlin – A Citizen of the World from the Provinces) (Forum Ljubljana, 2015) he and scriptwriter Marijan Pušavec depicted the life of the well-known writer and world traveller. Klemenčič also turned the older (pseudo)historical tale by Januš Golec Trojno gorje (Triple Woe) (Forum Ljubljana, 2022) into a comic strip form. Beside comics he is also involved in illustration (magazines, books, museum exhibitions), painting and printmaking. He has had five solo art exhibitions (Slovenia, France, Brazil), and has with his comics also participated at several group exhibitions.

Jana Bauer

Jana Bauer (1975) is a bestselling children’s book author. Her writing combines witty, amusing characters with compelling stories. Her first work, Izginjevalec čarovnic (The Witch Vanisher) (Vodnikova založba, 2002) was nominated for the 2003 Večernica Award. Her greatest popularity came with the with Groznovilca v hudi hosti (Scary Fairy in Wicked Wood) (Sodobnost, 2011), which has so far been translated into 19 languages. It was nominated for both the Večernica and Desetnica Awards in 2013. The audiobook of the German translation, Die Kleine Gruselfee, was awarded the AUDITORIX Hörbuchsiegel, Audiobook of the Month from the German Academy of Literature for Children and Young Readers, and the KIMI Seal for diversity in children’s books. In 2020 she received the main prize of the Macedonian International Literary Festival (Another Story) and the Desetnica Award from the Slovene Writers' Association for her book Ding dong zgodbe (Ding Dong Stories) (Sodobnost, 2018). Her picture book Kako prestrašiti pošast (How to Frighten a Monster) (Sodobnost, 2020) was included in the 2020 White Ravens International catalogue. Her most recent picture book, Kako objeti ježa (How to Hug a Hedgehog) (Sodobnost, 2022) was nominated for the Desetnica and Večernica Awards and received the Kristina Brenkova Best Slovene Picture Book Award for 2022.

Jedrt Maležič

Jedrt Maležič (1979) is a writer and literary translator with a BA in translation studies (English and French) from the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. Her debut short story collection Težkomentalci (Heavy Mental) (LUD Literatura, 2016) was shortlisted for the Best Debut Award and focuses on the personal experience of being hospitalised in a mental institution, humorously portraying it as a totalitarian institution of the 21st century; it has been translated into Spanish (Litterae Slovenicae). Her next collection of short stories Bojne barve (Warpaint) (Lambda, 2016), is about various LGBT people in their struggle for visibility and coming out in a hostile environment. It was nominated for the Novo Mesto Award in 2017 and has been translated into Macedonian (Begemot). Following this, she wrote 3 novels: Vija vaja ven (Eenie, Meenie, Miny, Moe) (Litera, 2018), in which she reveals and satirically describes her experiences with a New Age spiritual sect, Napol morilke (Almost Murderers) (Goga, 2021), which was longlisted for the Kresnik Award and is about to be published in German (Mali Verlag), and her latest work, Križci, krožci (Square Pegs, Round Holes) (Goga, 2022), a dramatic account of lesbian divorce and same-sex parenthood.