Pavel Golia


Pavel Golia was a Slovenian poet and playwright.

Life

Pavel Golia was born in a relatively wealthy family in Trebnje. Between 1907 and 1915, he served as an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. In 1918, he was a journalist in Moscow. Later, he worked as a dramaturge or manager of the national theaters in Ljubljana, Osijek, and Belgrade. He died in Ljubljana.

Work

Golia wrote his first collection of poems, titled Alkohol, in 1908. It was published only in 1914. He wrote poems for about 40 years. According to the literary historian Igor Grdina, Golia was an intimate poet who wrote about alcoholism, prostitution, and deviant people. Emotions in his poetry are not serious. He was influenced by Oton Župančič, but developed his own form, sometimes closer to artistry.
Golia has been praised for his plays, particularly the ones written for children. He published his first play Peterčkove poslednje sanje: božična povest v štirih slikah s prologom in 1923. His most known children plays are Princeska in pastirček, Jurček, Srce igrač, Uboga Ančka, and Sneguljčica. The expert in Slovenian youth literature Igor Saksida placed him among the best Slovenian children's playwrights.

Commemoration

The Municipality of Trebnje celebrates 10 April as Pavel Golia Memorial Day. The library in Trebnje is named after him.