My all-new translations of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić‘s Priče iz davnine was published by Znanje in October 2024.
The new book contains all eight of Ivana’s fairy tales that were published in the subsequent Croatian language editions but not in the first. Until now the only English edition that was published in 1924 in London with those first six stories. For my new versions of the stories I used the earliest available Croatian versions of the stories as well as period dictionaries and references to achieve the best translations.
Above: 100 years apart. The first English language edition with translations by Fanny S. Copeland, illustrated by Vladimir Kirin, printed in London in 1924 with six stories. Fanny’s translations were the only English versions available until now and the two additional stories were never previously translated in full.
The new edition was illustrated by Manuel Šumberac. It is an hardback edition with beautiful gold embossing on the front cover 🙂
The 1924 English edition has become a collector’s item and is difficult to find in good condition so I am very pleased to have an original copy in my collection.
The new edition is available in most bookshops in Croatia and of course online from many booksellers.
You can order it online from the following booksellers:
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić is probably Croatia’s most famous children’s story writer. Her works have been compared to those of J.R.R Tolkien and Hans Christian Andersen. She was born in Ogulin in 1874 into a very well to do Croatian family. Her inspiration for writing fairy tales was the countryside around Ogulin and in particular the mountain of Klek. She was nominated several times for the Nobel Prize for Literature and her most famous work is a collection of stories published as ‘Croatian Tales of Long Ago’ based on ancient Slavic mythology. One of her most popular stories is ‘The Brave Adventures of Hlapić the Apprentice’ which along with the tales collection has been translated into many languages and enjoyed by children all around the world.
In honour of Ivana’s contribution to literature the town of Ogulin has been regularly holding a Festival of Fairy Tales and in late 2013 the Ogulin Tourist Board opened an interactive, multimedia visitor’s centre ‘Ivana’s House of Fairy Tales‘ to celebrate the life and work of Croatia’s greatest children’s writer.
I was very honoured to have been involved in the project as an English language proofreader for all parts of the centre, the interactive games and exhibitions featured inside as well as all the promotional material, brochures, books and DVD accompanying the project. It was a pleasure working with the translator Nada Kujundžić and the project management team at Muze d.o.o.
The visitor’s centre offers an array of exhibitions, workshops, state-of-the-art interactive games, touch-screen, multimedia installations all in order to stimulate children’s imaginations about fairy tales, myths, legends and tales as well as a memorial to Ivana’s life and her works.
** NEWS **
The Croatian Museum Association (HRMUD) awarded the visitor’s centre in Ogulin as the Best Permanent Museum Exhibition in Croatia of 2014 in Opatija on 10th October.
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The town of Ogulin has also created a Fairy Tale Route which winds through the town and its environs. The video below sums up superbly the whole atmosphere of the project. All-in-all it has turned the town into the Homeland of Fairy Tales, well worth a visit!
Ivana’s work is so popular that she even features in school yard graffiti – this is at the Podmurvice primary school in Rijeka 🙂
Ivana’s tale of Hlapić (ENG Laptich) the schoolmaker’s apprentice features is popular amongst children and features in many children playgrounds. Here in Turnić near Rijeka.
If you would like to visit Ogulin and Ivana’s House of Fairy Tales, the Fairy Tale Route or Plitivce Lakes you can contact Sabina Gvozdić at ogulintales.com. She is a very experienced storyteller and tourist guide who knows all about the region as well as the imposing mountain of Klek.
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