Jana Bauer (1975) is a popular writer for children and young adults. She grew up in Kočevje, but spent her summers with her grandmother by the River Kolpa. Her father was a passionate storyteller and legends about witches, spirits and smugglers had the strongest influence on the development of her imaginary world. When her childhood, full of pleasant daydreaming, was over, she enrolled to study dramaturgy at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana. After graduation, she turned to writing fantasy stories for children. Her first work, Izginjevalec čarovnic (The Witch Vanisher), was nominated for the Večernica Award (2003). Her most popular book among young readers is undoubtedly Groznovilca v Hudi hosti (Scary Fairy in the Fearful Forest), published in 2011 and translated into a number of foreign languages. Recently the sequel Groznovilca in divja zima (Scary Fairy and the Wild Winter) was published (bought by, among other foreign publishers, by the German s. Fischer Verlag). Although her stories are aimed at children, their magic and originality appeal to readers of all generations.
The book Groznovilca v Hudi hosti (Scary Fairy in the Fearful Forest) was nominated for the Večernica and Desetnica awards (2013), it received the Golden Pear seal of quality, while in Croatia it was listed among the recommended works. In Lithuania, it was given the IBBY award for the best artistic translation.