MAURER Neža

MAURER Neža was born on December 22, 1930 in the village of Podvin in the municipality of Polzela, Slovenia. She attended primary school in Polzela, a lower grammar school in Celje. She finished teacher training in Ljubljana, after which she went to teach in Primorska. She taught for three years in Črni vrh above Idrija. After graduating from the Pedagogical Academy in Ljubljana, she enrolled at the Faculty of Arts (Slavic Studies) in Ljubljana, taught at the lower grammar school in Ilirska Bistrica. She graduated from the faculty in 1960.

She was then also selected as the first editor of school TV shows and an international course for school TV shows in Rome. She then worked in journalism and wrote for radio - all her life. She worked as a journalist, also as a technical editor in the editorial office of Rodna gruda; at the Pionirski dom she edited brochures for festive days in schools; at "Otrok in družina" (Child and Family) magazine she was a technical editor. She was especially close to working at Kmečki glas, where she edited the cultural section.

This flying idyll was cut short by death in the family when her husband Herman Škofič died. She was accepted to the position of editor-in-chief and director of the newspaper Prosvetni delavec and seven years later became an independent consultant for culture at the Information Committee of Slovenia. She remained there until her retirement.

In retirement, she then devoted herself to literature and performances in schools.

She is a member of the Association of Journalists (since 1962), the Association of Slovenian Writers (since 1973), the movement for a culture of peace and non-violence (since 1983) and the PEN Club (since 1991). Neža Maurer writes literature for children, youth and adults. As a poet she has been present with her works for more than 60 years. She has also received awards and recognitions for her work. Over eighty children’s games and shows have been performed on several radio stations.