France Bevk () (17 September 1890 – 17 September 1970) was a Slovene writer, poet and translator. He also wrote under the pseudonym Pavle Sedmak.

Biography

Bevk was born in the mountain village of Zakojca (Coizza during Italian rule, now part of the

Municipality of Cerkno The Municipality of Cerkno () is a municipality in the Slovenian Littoral, Littoral region of Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Cerkno. The municipality has around 5,000 people. History Historically, the Cerkno Hills belonged ...

) in the

County of Gorizia and Gradisca The Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca (; ; ), historically sometimes shortened to and spelled "Goritz", was a crown land of the Habsburg dynasty within the Austrian Littoral on the Adriatic Sea, in what is now a multilingual border area of ...

of what was then the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

, now in

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. He was the oldest of eight children born to the tenant farmer and shoemaker Ivan Bevk and his wife Katarina (née Čufer).Information display at the France Bevk home in Zakojca. Bevk attended school in

Bukovo Bukovo (, pronounced ) is a village in the Bitola municipality approximately three kilometers' distance from the city of Bitola in North Macedonia. Not unlike most other larger villages in the country, locals typically distinguish an "upper" (' ...

until 1904, and then in

Kranj Kranj (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fourth-largest city in Slovenia and the largest urban center of the traditional region of Upper Carniola (northwestern Slovenia) and the Slovene Alps. It is located approximately northwest o ...

(1905),

Koper Koper (; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fifth-largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Slovenian Istria, Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, Koper is the main urban center of the Slovene coast. Port of Koper i ...

(1908), and

Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...

(1909), and became a teacher in the

Slovene Littoral The Slovene Littoral, or simply Littoral (, ; ; ), is one of the traditional regions of Slovenia. The littoral in its name – for a coastal-adjacent area – recalls the former Austrian Littoral (''Avstrijsko Primorje''), the Habsburg possess ...

. His first teaching position was in the village of Orehek. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was a soldier on the Eastern Front and for a while at a military school in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. After the war he worked for various newspapers in

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

. In 1920 he moved to

dedicating himself to cultural and political activism in the

, then under

Ital Ital, also spelled I-tal (), is food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement. It is compulsory in the Bobo Ashanti and Nyabinghi mansions, though not in the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The word derives from the English word "vital", ...

ian rule. He was frequently prosecuted by

Italian Fascist Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...

authorities and interned for his activities. In 1935 he had to leave the

Julian March The Julian March ( Croatian and ), also called Julian Venetia (; ; ; ), is an area of southern Central Europe which is currently divided among Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia.

and moved to Ljubljana, in the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

. There, he came in contact with the vibrant cultural life of the Slovenian capital, becoming friends with figures such as the painter Zoran Mušič, writer Vladimir Bartol, political activist and author

Lavo Čermelj Lavo Čermelj, Italianized name ''Lavo Cermeli'' (10 October 1889 – 26 January 1980), was a Slovenes, Slovene physicist, political activist, journalist, and author. In the 1930s, he was one of the foremost representatives of Slovene anti-Fasci ...

, literary critic

Josip Vidmar Josip Vidmar (; October 14, 1895 – April 11, 1992) was a notable Slovenian literary critic, essayist, and politician. From 1944 to 1946 he was speaker of the Slovenian People's Liberation Council (Slovenian Parliament). From 1952 to 1976 was ...

and art historian France Stele. After the

Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a Nazi Germany, German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put fo ...

in April 1941, he was imprisoned by the Italian occupation authorities due to his public

Anti-Fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

stance. In 1943, he escaped from prison and joined the Slovene Partisans. After the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he moved to

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

and later back to Ljubljana. In 1953 he became a member of the

Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( (SAZU)) is the national academy of Slovenia, which encompasses science and the arts and brings together the top Slovene researchers and artists as members of the academy. Cultural significance Establis ...

. He received the

Prešeren Award The Prešeren Award (), also called the Grand Prešeren Award (), is the highest decoration in the field of artistic and in the past also scientific creation in Slovenia. It is awarded each year by the Prešeren Fund () to two eminent Slovene art ...

, the most prestigious award for artistic achievements in Slovenia, twice, in 1949 and in 1954. He died in Ljubljana on his 80th birthday.

Work

Bevk started writing at the age of sixteen with encouragement from the influential

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

editor Zofka Kveder. In his early poems, Bevk was influenced by the vitalist poetry of

Oton Župančič Oton Župančič (; January 23, 1878 – June 11, 1949; pseudonym ''Gojko'' ) was a Slovene language, Slovene poet, translator, and playwright. He is regarded, alongside Ivan Cankar, Dragotin Kette and Josip Murn, as the beginner of modernism in ...

and

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in ...

. After the experience of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he came under the influence of Christian

expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

which represented a strong literary and artistic current in interwar Slovenia. Some of its most talented representatives, such as the poet Joža Lovrenčič and Ivan Pregelj, came from Bevk's native region of

Goriška Goriška () is a historical region in western Slovenia on the border with Italy. It comprises the northern part of the wider traditional region of the Slovenian Littoral (''Primorska''). The name ''Goriška'' is an adjective referring to the city ...

. At first, he followed their examples, but later moved to

social realism Social realism is work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers, filmmakers and some musicians that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures ...

. He became known in the 1930s with his novels describing the struggle of the

Slovene people The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, and history, and speak Slovene as their native lan ...

from the

Julian March The Julian March ( Croatian and ), also called Julian Venetia (; ; ; ), is an area of southern Central Europe which is currently divided among Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia.

to maintain their identity against the

Fascist Italianization Italianization ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is the spread of Italian culture, language and identity by way of integration or assimilation. It is also known for a process organized by the Kingdom of Italy to force cultural and ethnic assimilation of the nati ...

. His best-known work was the novel ''Kaplan Martin Čedermac'' (The Vicar Martin Čedermac), in which he described the inner struggles of a Roman Catholic priest in the westernmost Slovene ethnic region known as

Venetian Slovenia Slavia Friulana, which means Friulian Slavia (), is a small mountainous region in northeastern Italy and it is so called because of its Slavic population which settled here in the 8th century AD. The territory is located in the Italian region of ...

. The novel was published under a pseudonym by the publishing house ''

Slovenska matica The Slovene Society (, also ) is the second-oldest publishing house in Slovenia, founded on 4 February 1864 as an institution for the scholarly and cultural progress of Slovenes. History The Slovene Society was founded upon the proposal of sev ...

'' in 1938 and soon became a best-seller. The term ''Čedermac'' is still used in Slovene to refer to the Roman Catholic clergy in the Slovene Littoral that struggled to defend the Slovene identity of their flock under the Italian

Fascist regime Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

. His realist literature pay attention to topics of land ownership, arranged marriage, alcoholism and conservativism in rural settings. Later in his life, Bevk devoted himself largely to children's literature. He was a very prolific author: when a complete bibliography was made on the occasion of his 70th birthday, it was determined that Bevk had written over 100 books.

Legacy

Although Bevk is still revered as the author of the popular novel ''The Vicar Martin Čedermac'', he is mostly remembered as an author of children's literature. The regional library in

Nova Gorica Nova Gorica () is a town in western Slovenia, on the border with Italy. It is the seat of the Municipality of Nova Gorica. Nova Gorica is a planned town, built according to the principles of modernist architecture after 1947, when the Treaty of pe ...

is named after him, as well as the central square in the town.

Bibliography

Poetry

* ''Pesmi'' (Poems) (1921) * ''Smeh skozi solze'' (Laughter Through Tears) (1959)

Adult works

* ''Faraon'' (Pharaoh) (1922) * ''Rablji'' (Executioners) (1923) * ''Suženj demona'' (Slave of the Demon) (1925) * ''Kajn'' (Cain) (1925) (drama) * ''Smrt pred hišo'' (Death in Front of the House) (1925), re-published with major changes in 1934 under the title ''Ljudje pod Osojnikom'' (People under Osojnik) * ''Muka gospe Vere'' (Mrs. Vera's Torment) (1925) * ''Julijan Sever'' (1926) * ''Beg pred senco'' (Fleeing Before the Shadow) (1926) * ''Hiša v strugi'' (The House in the Riverbed) (1927) * ''Jakec in njegova ljubezen'' (Jakec and His Love) (1927) * ''Kresna noč'' (Bonfire Night) f the Summer Solstice(1927) (a historical novel) *''Krvavi jezdeci'' (Bloody Riders), (1927), part 1 of the ''Znamenja na nebu'' (Signs in the Sky) trilogy * ''Vihar'' (Storm) (1928) * ''Krivda'' (Blame) (1929) *''Škorpijoni zemlje'' (Scorpions of the Earth), (1929), part 2 of the ''Znamenja na nebu'' (Signs in the Sky) trilogy * ''V zablodah'' (In Delusions) (1929; rewritten with new title ''Zablode'' (Delusions) in 1963) * ''Mati'' (Mother) (1929) *''Črni bratje in sestre'' (Black Brothers and Sisters), (1929), part 3 of the ''Znamenja na nebu'' (Signs in the Sky) trilogy * ''Gospodična Irma'' (Miss Irma) (1930) * ''Mrtvi se vračajo'' (The Dead Return) (1930) * ''Kamnarjev Jurij'' (Jurij from the Kamnar Farm) (1930) * ''Vedomec'' (Spirit) (1930) * ''Človek proti človeku'' (Man Against Man) (1930) * ''Umirajoči bog Triglav'' (The Dying God Triglav) (1930, 1960, 2018) * ''Burkež gospoda Viterga'' (Sir Viterg's Jester) (1931) * ''Stražni ognji'' (Guard Fires) (1931) * ''In sonce je obstalo'' (And The Sun Stopped) (1931, published in book form in 1963) * ''Železna kača'' (Iron Snake) (1932) * ''Žerjavi'' (Cranes) (1932) * ''Veliki Tomaž'' (Big Thomas) (1932) * ''Dedič'' (Heir) (1933) * ''Gmajna'' (Woods) (1933) * ''Človek brez krinke'' (Man without a Mask) (1934; reissued with the title ''Brez krinke'' (Without a Mask) in 1960) * ''Huda ura'' (Heavy Weather) (1934) * ''Ubogi zlodej'' (Poor Devil) (1934) * ''Samote'' (Lonelinesses) (1935) * ''V mestu gorijo luči'' (The Lights are on in Town) (1936) * ''Srebrniki'' (Silver Coins) (1936) * ''Začudene oči'' (Surprised Eyes) (1936) * ''Kaplan Martin Čedermac'' (The Vicar Martin Čedermac) (1938) * ''Pravica do življenja'' (Right to Life) (1939) * ''Dan se je nagibal'' (The Day Is Coming) (1939) * ''Domačija'' (Homestead) (1939; published as a book in 1960) * ''Mlada njiva'' (New Field) (1940) * ''Med dvema vojnama'' (Between Two Wars) (1946) * ''Novele'' (Short Stories) (1947) * ''Obračun'' (Settlement) (1950) * ''Še bo kdaj pomlad'' (Spring Will Come Again) (1950) (film script) * ''Pot v svobodo'' (Road into Freedom) (1953) * ''Tuja kri'' (Foreign Blood) (1954) * ''Krivi računi'' (Wrong Dealings) (1956) * ''Črna srajca'' (Blackshirt) (1956) * ''Iskra pod pepelom'' (A Spark in the Ashes)(1956) * ''Viharnik'' (Storm-Weathered Tree) (1957) * ''Mrak za rešetkami'' (Darkness Behind Bars) (1958) * ''Slepa ulica'' (Blind Alley) (1961)

Juvenile fiction

* ''Tatič'' (The Little Thief) (1916–1917) * ''Jagoda'' (Strawberry) (1930) * ''Lukec in njegov škorec'' (Little Luka and His Starling) (1931) * ''Lukec išče očeta'' (Little Luka Looks for Father) (1932) * ''Kozorog'' (The Ibex) (1933) * ''Tovariša'' (Two Comrades) (1934) * ''Pastirci'' (Shepherds) (1935) * ''Pestrna'' (The Nanny) (1939) * ''Tonček'' (1948) * ''Mali upornik'' (The Little Rebel) (1951) * ''Črni bratje'' (Black Brothers) (1952) * ''Razbojnik Saladin'' (The Bandit Saladin) (1959) * ''Učiteljica Breda'' (Breda the Teacher) (1963) * ''Iz iskre požar'' (Conflagration from a Spark) (1963)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bevk, France 1890 births 1970 deaths People from the Municipality of Cerkno Slovenian male poets Slovenian translators Italian–Slovene translators Members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Prešeren Award laureates Yugoslav Partisans members Presidents of the Slovene Writers' Association Levstik Award laureates Ethnic Slovene people Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Yugoslav writers 20th-century male writers 20th-century Slovenian translators 20th-century Slovenian poets