Leopold Suhodolčan (10 August 1928 – 8 February 1980) was a Slovene writer, best known for his

juvenile fiction Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

. Together with Stanko Kotnik he was one of the conceptors of the ''Reading Badge of Slovenia'' competition that still runs today as a motivation for primary school children in reading and literacy. Suhodolčan was born in

Žiri Žiri (; formerly also ''Žir'', locally ''Žier'',Snoj, Marko. 2009. ''Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen''. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, pp. 490–491. ) is a town in northwestern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of ...

in 1928. He worked as a teacher and headmaster in

Prevalje Prevalje (; German language, German: ''Prävali'') is a town in northern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Prevalje. It lies in the traditional Slovenian province of Carinthia, Slovenia, Carinthia. Prevalje lies in a valley where th ...

Slovenian Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ), also Slovene Carinthia or Slovenian Carinthia (''Slovenska Koroška''), is a traditional region in northern Slovenia. The term refers to the small southeasternmost area of the former Duchy of Carinthia, which after World War I ...

. Though he wrote adult fiction, he is better known for his writing for young readers. His children's books have also been translated and published outside Slovenia. He died in

Golnik Golnik ( or ; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 66.) is a village in the Municipality of Kranj in the Upper Carniolan region of Sloveni ...

in 1980. The Central Carinthian Library in

Ravne na Koroškem Ravne na Koroškem (; until 1952: ''Guštanj''; ) is a town in northern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, and the largest town and the capital of Slovenia's Carinthia region. The town has a long tradition in the ...

has a memorial room dedicated to Suhodolčan. Suhodolčan won the

Levstik Award The Levstik Award () is a literary award in Slovenia awarded for achievements in children's literature. It has been bestowed since 1949 by the Mladinska Knjiga Publishing House, making it the first literary award established by a Slovene publishin ...

twice, in 1965 for his book ''Velikan in Pajac'' (The Giant and the Clown) and in 1979 for his book ''Piko Dinozaver'' (Piko the Dinosaur) and other books.

Published works

Adult fiction

* ''Človek na zidu'' (Man on the Wall), short stories, 1960 * ''Svetlice'' (Lights), novel, 1965 * ''Dobrijska balada'' (The Balad of Dobrije), short stories, 1967 * ''Bog ljubezni'' (The God of Love), novel, 1968 * ''Sledovi molčečih'' (Traces of the Silent), novel, 1970 * ''Noro življenje'' (Mad Life), novel, 1972 * ''Najdaljša noč'' (The Longest Night), novel, 1975 * ''Med reko in zemljo'' (Between the River and Land), short stories, 1977 * ''Trenutki in leta'' (Moments and Years), novel, 1979 * ''Snežno znamenje'' (The Snow Sign), novel, 1981

Juvenile fiction

* ''Ognjeni možje'' (Men of Fire), 1955 * ''Sejem na zelenem oblaku'' (The Fair on the Green Cloud), 1958 * ''Deček na črnem konju'' (The Boy on the Black Horse), 1961 * ''Skriti dnevnik'' (The Hidden Diary), 1961 * ''Hi, konjiček'' (Go, Horsie), 1964 * ''Potovanje slona Jumba'' (Jumbo the Elephant's Journey), 1965 * ''Velikan in pajac'' (The Giant and the Clown), 1965 * ''Pikapolonček'' (The He-Ladybird), 1968 * ''Rdeči lev'' (The Red Lion), 1968 * ''Veliki in mali kapitan'' (Captain Big and Captain Little), 1968 * ''Rumena podmornica'' (The Yellow Submarine), 1969 * ''Krojaček Hlaček'' (Trooser the Tailor), 1970 * ''Punčka'' (The Little Girl), 1970 * ''Mornar na kolesu'' (The Sailor on the Bike), 1973 * ''Naočnik in očalnik, mojstra med detektivi'' (Specs and Goggles, Master Detectives), 1973 * ''Kam se je skril krojaček Hlaček?'' (Where Had Trooser the Tailor Hidden?), 1974 * ''Dvanajst slonov'' (twelve Elephants), 1976 * ''Na kmetiji'' (On the Farm), 1976 * ''Na večerji s krokodilom: nove detektivske mojstrovine Naočnika in Očalnika'' (Dinner With the Crocodile, the New Detective Adventures of Specs and Goggles), 1976 * ''Pipa, klobuk in dober nos'' (The Pipe, the Hat and a Good Nose), 1976 * ''7 nagajivih'' (7 Naughty Ones), 1976 * ''Kurirčkov dnevnik: kurirček Andrej si je zapisal in narisal v dnevnik, kar je doživel Kurirčkov dnevnik'' (The Young Courier's Diary), 1977 * ''Stopinje po zraku in kako sta jih odkrila Naočnik in Očalnik, mojstra med detektivi'' (Footprints in the Air and How They Were Discovered by Specs and Goggles, Master Detectives), 1977 * ''Piko Dinozaver'' (Piko the Dinosaur), 1978 * ''Zgodilo se je 6. aprila'' (It Happened on 6 April), 1978 * ''Cepecepetavček'' (Stompaboutling), 1979 * ''Levi in desni klovn'' (The Left and Right Clown), 1979 * ''Markov maj'' (Mark's May), 1979 * ''O medvedku in dečku'' (About A Bear and A Boy), 1979 * ''Peter Nos je vsemu kos'' (Peter Nose Can Do It All), 1979 * ''PraMatija ali Bučman'' (Ol'Matija or Thickhead), 1980 * ''Pri nas in okoli nas'' (At Our Place and Hereabouts), 1981 * ''Pisatelj, povej mi'' (Tell Me, Mr Writer), 1982 * ''Kuža Luža'' (Puddles the Dog), 1984 * ''O dedku in medvedku'' (About A Grandad and A Bear), 1987 * ''Koroške pripovedke'' (Carinthian Tales), 1998

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suhodolcan, Leopold Slovenian writers Slovenian children's writers Yugoslav science fiction writers 1928 births 1980 deaths Levstik Award laureates People from Žiri People from Prevalje