Leopold Suhodolčan

Leopold Suhodolčan (10 August 1928 – 8 February 1980) was a Slovene writer, best known for his juvenile fiction. 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 in 1928. He worked as a teacher and headmaster in Prevalje in Slovenian Carinthia. 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 in 1980. The Central Carinthian Library in Ravne na Koroškem has a memorial room dedicated to Suhodolčan.

Suhodolčan won the Levstik Award 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