The Beginnings of the Original Slovenian Narrative Tradition as Literature for Young and Adult Readers

Abstract

The system of Slovenian narrative prose was initially mainly occupied with translated literature. The systematic differentiation of Slovenian literature from foreign language literature was encouraged by the Enlightenment ideas associated with the socio-political changes in the Austrian Empire at the turn of the 19th century. The first original Slovenian narrative prose, Sreča v nesreči (Fortune in Misfortune), appeared in 1836. In terms of content and concept, it is based on Biedermeier youth literature, while in the subtitle it specifically addresses “the young and the old”. As early as in the second half of the 19th century, Sreča v nesreči was categorised in the system of children’s and youth literature, but throughout the 20th century, Slovenian literary studies emphasised its originality and firmly positioned it in the system of literature for adults. These changes can be observed in the context of the changing view of the role of translation and the place of children’s and youth literature in the development of the (peripheral) national literature.