Stanka Hrastelj (1975) is a poet and writer. She has so far published two poetry collections, Gospod, nekaj imamo za vas (Sir, We Have Something for You) (Beletrina, 2009) and Nizki toni (Low Tones) (Goga, 2005), and two novels Igranje (Playing, Mladinska knjiga, 2012) and Prva dama (First Lady) (Mladinska knjiga, 2018). She has received numerous awards for her work, among others the Modra Ptica Award for best novel (2012), the title Dame of Poetry at the 2007 Poetry Tournament, the award for best debut novel (2005) and the title Best Young Poet of Slovenia (2001). Individual poems and passages of prose have been translated and published in over twenty languages. She is also author of forewords to various editions, an editor, columnist, organiser of cultural events, moderator, and creative writing tutor. She is a member of the Slovene Writers’ Association and the Slovene PEN Centre. The guiding principle in her writing is that as an author she “creates anew” with every literary work. Every time she sets herself a different literary style, tone, charge and approach, whishing her books to not be alike. She remains loyal, however, to irony, which is one of her favourite writing approaches. She is attracted by “difficult”, often taboo themes (mental illness, self-destructive behaviour, old age, suicide).