20 | 04 | 2026

152nd birth anniversary of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić

Source: Pixabay

In the year to celebrate 35 years of the SIPO, we remember the writer whose literary works marked the Croatian history; for their value, they are still relevant today.
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was born 152 years ago; she is a writer whose stories shaped childhood of many generations, and left a deep mark in the Croatian literature. Her work was created from a rich imagination, language and folk motifs, and over time it has grown into a legacy that continues to inspire young and adult readers today. The beloved collection of short stories "Tales of Long Ago" (Priče iz davnine), published in 2016 and translated into 19 world languages, stands out among her works inspired by folk motifs.

“The Strange Adventures of Hlapić the Apprentice” is the first novel by Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić and the first Croatian novel for children. It was published in 1913 and translated into 28 languages, including English, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Bengali and Turkish; it has seen more than 220 editions to date. The character of Hlapić the Apprentice, a kind-hearted shoemaker's assistant who meets different people on his way and does many good deeds, is now beloved around the world. Based on this novel, a Croatian feature-length cartoon was made in 1997, and the film's popularity and international success led to the subsequent production of a 26-episode television cartoon series. A feature film adaptation of the novel was made in 2013, 100 years after the publication of the original work. 

✅Copyright protects creative work and allows literary works to be preserved, recognised, and accessible over time. The legacy of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić reminds us that every great story begins with a creative idea, and that the realisation of that idea can delight and inspire new generations.

🪄 Which character from the work of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić is your favourite and why?