How many books have you written?
I never counted them, but you can count them in the sections PICTUREBOOKS and TEEN BOOKS.
How long does it take to write a book?
It depends. Sometimes I need more than a year to finish a picture book and sometimes it only takes a month or two to write a teen story.
Do you do schools visits and talks?
I love to visit them!
I’ve got three programmes for children:
- Flying with Louisa is the programme for the youngest children and most suitable for visits in libraries (small groups up to 24 children from 4 to 9 years old).
The reading of some chapters from the book Louisa from Outer Space is followed by a workshop: about living on Earth and especially about transportation on our planet.
- Meet Majda Koren (groups up to 120 children from 6 do 12 years old)
I will tell you funny things about how I grew up, what was school like in my times. You will get to know some secrets about my books, for instance: how and why monster Mitzi has been created, who lives in the Souppy house and which stories actually happened to me when I was in school. You will also learn something about my life – what do I do besides writing.
I always bring my magic cards with me, so you will also be able to make up some stories and fairy tales.
- Julia is in love LOL (groups of 20 to 60 pupils, aged 10 to 14)
Julia has her own profile on Facebook – but she doesn’t exist at all. She is a book character. In the book, she had some serious problems on the internet, met a strange man there. Fortunately everything turned out well. Now she is quite active on the Facebook and many people think, she’s real person. So she herself is a catch: you have to think twice when you befriend someone on any social media platform.
In this programme we talk about the internet, social media and things, that can happen to you online.
Did you have talks abroad, too?
In 2008 I visited United States and had talks in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and Washington. It was a wonderful experience.
When and where do you write?
Long time ago my best time for writing was at night, but now I prefer mornings. I write everywhere: on the balcony at my tiny house among the wineyards in Bela krajina, by the Kolpa river, or a train or on a plain. But not on the toilet. I forget to take a notebook there.
What books did you read when you were young?
First there were picture books like Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Then there were folk tales from all over the world and finally everything from the authors Astrid Lindgren and Hans Christian Andersen. Later I discovered authors like Terry Pratchett, Walter de la Mare, Roald Dahl, Michael Ende, Christine Nostlinger and Neil Gaiman. I still like to read books for children and find them as good or even better as the ones for the adults.
What did you want to become, when you grow up?
I wanted to be a teacher. Or a stewardess. Or a football player.
What do you do in your spare time?
I like to swim. I read a lot, when I’m not playing games on my computer. I like to travel, whenever I have enough time and money to do so. Reading and traveling makes my imagination wilder and that’s what I like about both. When there is no time nor money to travel, I travel on google maps with my nose glued to the screen.
Where can I buy your books?
Try the local bookstore. Or better, look for them online, at Emka bookstore or at the publisher house Sodobnost International.