JANA BAUER (1975) is a beloved children’s and young adult author. She grew up in Kočevje, spending her summers with her grandmother by the Kolpa River. Her father was a passionate storyteller, and legends of witches, ghosts, and smugglers had the most significant influence on the development of her imaginative world. As her childhood years filled with pleasant daydreaming passed, she enrolled in a study of dramaturgy at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television. After completing her studies, she dedicated herself to writing fantasy stories for children. Her debut, Izginjevalec čarovnic, was nominated for the Večernica Award in 2003. Her popularity among young readers undoubtedly grew with the book Groznovilca v Hudi hosti, published in 2011 and translated into several foreign languages. Recently, the sequel, Groznovilca in divja zima, has also been released. Although her stories are originally written for children, their magic captivates readers of all generations. The book Groznovilca v Hudi hosti was nominated for the Večernica and Desetnica awards in 2013, received the Gold Pear Quality Award, and received high praise in Croatia. In 2020 Jana was honoured with the prestigious Desetnica award for her book Ding dong zgodbe and in n 2022 she received the Kristina Brenkova Award for the best picture book of the year.