The Princess of the Wind by Elek Benedek / Szélike Királykisasszony / Hungarian Fairy Tales / Corvina / 2014 Hardcover

HARDCOVER: 2014

ISBN: 9789631362312 / 978-9631362312

PAGES 160

PUBLISHER: CORVINA

ILLUSTRATIONS: Kun Fruzsina

About the Author:

Benedek Elek (Kisbacon, 1859. szeptember 30. – Kisbacon, 1929. augusztus 17.) magyar újságíró, író, országgyűlési képviselő, „a nagy mesemondó”

1900-ban a Kisfaludy Társaságnak is tagjává vált. Az ifjúság számára készült mese-átdolgozásait tartalmazó Ezüst Mesekönyv és Arany Mesekönyv - amelyek főként az Az Ezeregyéjszaka meséinek és a Grimm fivérek meséinek átiratai voltak – tucatnyi új kiadásaival, újabb átdolgozásaival évtizedeken át a legfőbb és legjobb magyar mesekönyvek voltak. Verseket, színdarabokat, leányregényeket, történelmi és irodalomtörténeti műveket is írt.

Benedek Elek, western name order "Elek Benedek" [Hungarian], Born on (30 September 1859 – 17 August 1929) was a Hungarian journalist and writer, widely known as "The Great Folk-Tale Teller" of The "Szekely_Hungarian" Fairy-Tales. 

Born in Kisbacon, Transylvania (today Băţani Mic, Romania), he studied in Székelyudvarhely (Romanian: Odorheiu Secuiesc) and later in Budapest. He went as a student with Job Sebesi to collect folklore elements. The result was a collection of "Transylvanian Folk Tales", which was met with so much positive critique, that the young Elek Benedek cut short his studies. He worked at first as a journalist for Budapest Hírlap ("Budapest Newspaper") and for other newspapers.

Next to the original stories he made translations, including many tales from Grimm's Fairy Tales and Arabian Nights to Hungarian.

Hungarian Summary:

Angol nyelvű válogatás Benedek Elek népszerű meséiből, Kun Fruzsina gyönyörű illusztrációival. Meseszép kötet!

English Summary:

One can call them the 'childhood of literature' as without them none of the world's literature would be complete just like an individual wouldn't be complete without his/her childhood's memories. The period of collecting Hungarian folk-tales may be placed at the end of the 18th century. Among the later collectors Elek Benedek (1859-1929) became the most famous. He started to collect folk-tales as a student. He published his collection in the 'Transylvanian Tales', which became a big success. From that time he dedicated his life to children's literature and in 1889 founded the first Hungarian literary magazine for children, My Magazine. He emerged as a Hungarian 'Brother Grimm', mainly on account of his enormously popular tales. His best known collection, the Hungarian Popular Tales (5 volumes, 1894-96) was known and enjoyed by generations throughout the land to this day.