Mária Ďuríčková (1919–2004)

Maria Ďuríčková was the pen name of Maria Masaryková, nee Piecková. She was born to a peasant family in Slovakia and graduated from a teachers' college in Lučenci. She worked as a teacher in Upper Tisovník and Bratislava. Between 1949 and 1951, she studied at the Comenius University in Bratislava. In 1951, she became the editor of the magazine Druzhba, and went on to serve as editor or publisher of several other magazines. After 1971, she devoted herself to her writing, and was a prolific author of poetry, drama, and prose, mainly for children and young adults. Many of her works were translations from German, Russian, or Czech. She was the recipient of numerous prizes for her work.