Klára Jarunková, our most translated female writer, was born on 28th April 1922 at a post office, where her mother worked as the postmaster, in the beautiful countryside around Červená Skala. Her father supported his family as a private businessman. She was the second of five children. The death of the mother in1930 interrupted the harmony of the family. The five children were then all brought up by the sister of his, Františka, who had a significant effect on the writer's life and remained part of her family until her death. Klára attended primary school in Podbrezová and, for a year, also in Brezno. After she moved to Banská Bystrica, she studied at the secondary grammar school where she concentrated on modern languages, maths and science, going on to pass her secondary school leaving examination. In an attempt to provide support to her family, she accepted a position as a teacher and for three years she taught pupils from the scattered settlements that were part of the municipality of Korytárky. After she left for Bratislava, she began to study philosophy and Slovak at the Faculty of Arts of the Slovak University and at the same time, she worked for the municipal authorities. Later, she was employed by the nationwide public-service radio broadcaster, however, after two years she left to join the Roháč magazine, where she worked until she retired. From 1984 onwards, she fully concentrated on writing (until her death on 11th July 2005). She was married to Ing. Tichomír Jarunek and her daughter, Daniela Zacharová-Jarunková, is a professional artist.
The works of Klára Jarunková have been translated into 39 languages. 220 editions of her works have been published, the majority of them abroad. Many of them have become part of the required reading lists in the schools of several countries. The Diary of a Hero (Hrdinský zápisník), Donʼt Cry For Me (Jediná), The Silent Wolfʼs Brother (Brat mlčanlivého Vlka), The Tramp (Tulák), Silent Storms (Tiché búrky), The Avenger (Pomstiteľ) and Low Clouds (Nízka oblačnosť) gently invite the reader to create one’s own, unique destiny. The Meeting with the Missing Man (Stretnutie s nezvestným) introduced the topic of drugs when it was still a taboo subject in society. The Horehron Talisman (Horehronský talizman) is in two volumes, the first written by the writer's father, the writer Július Chudík, and the second by Klára Jarunková. Black Solstice (Čierny slnovrat) deals with wartime life in Banská Bystrica. A Few Steps through Brazil (Pár krokov po Brazílii) is a travel book. She also wrote fairy tales for pre-school children, full of love and humour: The Dog That Had a Boy (O psovi, ktorý mal chlapca), Tom Who Was Not Afraid of Darkness (O Tomášovi, ktorý sa nebál tmy), The Little Tongue That Wouldn`t Talk (O jazýčku, ktorý nechcel hovoriť), The Little Bird Who Knew a Secret (O vtáčikovi, ktorý vedel tajomstvo), The Old Man and the Wolf (Dedko a vlk) and The Little Girl That Went Looking for a Fairy Tale (O dievčatku, ktoré šlo hľadať rozprávku). The series We, People from the End of the World (My z konca sveta), in 13 episodes, a co-production by Switzerland and the Czech Republic, was based on her book The Silent Wolfʼs Brother.
The receipt of several major international and domestic literary awards not only reflect the mastery of the writer but are also a deep recognition of the ethical principles she employed in all of her works. The high-level awards were also bestowed on Klára Jarunková by the state: the Pribina Cross, 1st Class, in 1998 and the Ľudovít Štúr Order, 1st Class, in 2004. The author was also nominated for a Noble Prize in Literature. Although she is no longer with us, she would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year, her books are still here to help both the young and the old all over the world to grow and mature.
Daniela Zacharová-Jarunková
