Julka Gantar Fortuna

Julka Gantar Fortuna (28 January 1916 – 12 December 1999) was a Slovenian farmer, lacemaker, and poet. She was an important promoter of Slovenia and Slovenian lace. Her mother and father were farmers, and she grew up with seven siblings. After completing elementary school, she worked on the farm during the day and made lace in the evenings. Due to her experience, Julka took responsibility for purchasing lace for DOM Ljubljana in the Vrhnika region.

Literary work During her childhood, lacemakers would often recite or sing songs while working together. Wanting to revive this tradition but unable to recall the original songs, Julka began writing simple lacemakers’ poems in 1963, modeled on folk poetry and often suitable for existing folk melodies. She sold all 2,000 copies of the first edition and reissued the collection in 1983 with thirteen additional poems and an introduction by poet Neža Maurer. A further expanded edition was published in 1993. Some of her poems were set to music. She also published local history articles accompanied by photographs in magazines Kmečki glas and Loški razgledi. She died on 12 December 1999.