Božena Mačingová

Etela Božena Mačingová (2 June 1922–23 November 2017) was a Slovak writer, an author of books for children and young adults.

Biography Mačingová was born and raised in Košice. When World War II started, she was still a student. Soon after the outbreak of the war, Košice was occupied by the Hungarian forces and Mačingová had to flee the city. Until the end of the war she lived in Prešov and Veľký Šariš, where she met her husband, although she kept publishing her writings under her maiden name for the rest of the war.

In 1950 Mačingová returned to Košice and started working as a clerk while producing plays for the public radio broadcaster Slovenský Rozhlas. In 1952 she started working directly for Slovenský Rozhlas, where she was employed until her retirement in 1982.

Many of her writings are based on stories she invented for her own small children. The most popular of her children's books is Danuška (1962), which reflects the emotions of a small girl suffering due to her parents' marriage problems and poverty.

The most influential of Mačingová's books for young adults is Bethka a Veterné Mesto (1983), which is partly autobiographical.