Slovene literature

Slovene literature is the literature written in the Slovene language. It spans across all literary genres with historically the Slovene historical fiction as the most widespread Slovene fiction genre. The Romantic 19th century epic poetry written by the leading name of the Slovene literary canon, France Prešeren, inspired virtually all subsequent Slovene literature.

First written texts in Slovene language

The Freising Manuscripts, dating from the 10th century, most probably written in upper Carinthia, are the oldest surviving documents in Slovene.

Protestant preacher Primož Trubar, author of the first printed book in Slovene

The Sower (1907) by the Impressionist painter Ivan Grohar is a metaphor for the Slovenes as a vigorous nation in front of an uncertain future and a nation that sows in order that it could harvest.

First written text

The earliest documents written in a Slovene dialect are the Freising manuscripts (Brižinski spomeniki), dated between 972 and 1022, found in 1803 in Freising, Germany.

First books

The first books in Slovene were Catechismus and Abecedarium, written by the Protestant reformer Primož Trubar in 1550 and printed in Schwäbisch Hall. Based on the work by Trubar, who from 1555 until 1577 translated into Slovene and published the entire New Testament, Jurij Dalmatin translated the entire Bible into Slovene from c. 1569 until 1578 and published it in 1583. In the second half of the 16th century Slovene became known to other European languages with the multilingual dictionary, compiled by Hieronymus Megiser. Since then each new generation of Slovene writers has contributed to the growing corpus in the Slovene.

Historical periods

Middle Ages

Main articles: Freising Manuscripts, Klagenfurt Manuscript, Stična Manuscript, and Castelmonte Manuscript

Folk poetry

Main articles: Kralj Matjaž, Pegam and Lambergar, Peter Klepec, Rošlin and Verjanko, and The Fair Vida

Protestant reformation

Main articles: Adam Bohorič, Jurij Dalmatin, Sebastijan Krelj, and Primož Trubar

Counter-reformation

Main article: Tomaž Hren

Baroque

Main articles: Lovrenc Marušič, Tobia Lionelli, and Johann Weikhard von Valvasor

Age of Enlightenment

Main articles: Marko Pohlin, Jurij Japelj, Valentin Vodnik, and Anton Tomaž Linhart

1830–1849

Main articles: Matija Čop, Janez Vesel Koseski, France Prešeren, Anton Martin Slomšek, Stanko Vraz, Fanny Hausmann, Josipina Turnograjska, Luiza Pesjak, and Janez Nepomuk Primic

1849–1899

Main articles: Janez Trdina, Fran Levstik, Simon Jenko, Josip Jurčič, Josip Stritar, Janko Kersnik, Simon Gregorčič, Anton Aškerc, Ivan Tavčar, Zofka Kveder, Pavlina Pajk, Fran Govekar, Fran Erjavec, and Pavlina Pajk

Fin-de-siecle

Main articles: Impressionism, Neo-romanticism, Symbolism (arts), Decadence, Ivan Cankar, Josip Murn Aleksandrov, Dragotin Kette, Oton Župančič, Alojz Gradnik, and Izidor Cankar

This period encompasses 1899–1918.

Late realism

Main articles: Fran Milčinski, Janez Jalen, and Fran Saleški Finžgar

1918–1941

Main articles: Edvard Kocbek, Pavel Golia, Vladimir Bartol, Louis Adamic, Alma Karlin, Bogomir Magajna, Ivan Mrak, Anton Novačan, Lili Novy, Julius Kugy, Vladimir Kralj, and Marica Gregorič Stepančič

1918–1926

Main articles: Srečko Kosovel and Anton Podbevšek

1918–1930

Main articles: Joža Lovrenčič, Miran Jarc, Anton Vodnik, France Vodnik, Božo Vodušek, Ivan Pregelj, Slavko Grum, Stanko Majcen, France Bevk, Jože Udovič, Stanko Vuk, Danilo Lokar, and Cene Vipotnik

1930–1941

Main articles: Mile Klopčič, Fran Albreht, Vera Albreht, Tone Čufar, Igo Gruden, Prežihov Voranc, Miško Kranjec, Bratko Kreft, Ivan Potrč, Ludvik Mrzel, Juš Kozak, Lojz Kraigher, Ferdo Kozak, and Fran Albreht

1945–1990

Intimism

Intimism (Slovene: intimizem) was a poetic movement, the main themes of which were love, disappointment and suffering and the projection of poet's inner feelings onto nature. Its beginner is Ivan Minatti, who was followed by Lojze Krakar. The climax of Intimism was achieved in 1953 with a collection of poetry titled Poems of the Four (Pesmi štirih), written by Janez Menart, Ciril Zlobec, Kajetan Kovič and Tone Pavček. An often neglected female counterpart to the four was Ada Škerl, whose subjective and pessimistic poetic sentiment was contrary to the post-war revolutionary demands in the People's Republic of Slovenia.