SLOVENIAN-POLISH TRANSLATIONS OF YOUTH LITERATURE THE CASE STUDY OF SODOBNOST INTERNATIONAL

This study deals primarily with a comparative analysis of selected works based on Emer O’Sullivan’s theory of comparative youth literature as presented in the monograph entitled Comparative Children’s Literature (2005). The introduction of the article provides a brief overview of Slovene and Polish intercultural contacts in the field of (youth) literature, in existence already in the 19th century (1848–1918), from 1884 (H. Sienkiewicz, In Desert and Wilderness, 1884; With Fire and Sword, 1892), but not for young readers. During this time, Slavic fairy tales were published for young readers which included the Polish ones, in the magazines Vrtec and Zvonček, above all in the context of Pan-Slavism. The early reception of Maria Konopnicka is still being researched. In the period from 1918 to 1941 mostly folk tales were translated. Most translations from Polish youth literature were made between 1945–1991 and 1991–2004, notably J.Korczak, followed by Adam Bahdaj (1918–1985) (e.g. Attention! Black Umbrella!, 1967; Penguin Pik Pok, 2003), Jan Brzecwa (1900–1966), Julian Tuwim (1894–1953) (Locomotive: Selection of Songs for Children, 1960; Little Turnip, etc.). Translations from contemporary youth literature (around 300), including Polish ones, were greatly supported by the Sodobnost International Publishing House in the period 2004–2019, which helped fill in the structural gap. In the post-2015 period, several picture books and/or illustrated books have been published that deserve the particular attention of the literary sciences on youth literature.