DRAGICA ČARNA

I was born in Slovenia, where I grew up in the middle of beautiful fields and pastures, where children played from the morning till the evening, when there were no phones, and television was such an exception, that we walked through the prospect if we could watch a movie.

Soon I moved to Ljubljana, where I completed my elementary and secondary schooling, university, and master studies in Slovene and Italian literature. From an early age, I loved literature and languages. Poetry was my greatest love within art.

I studied Slovene, Italian and some years of additional Spanish language and literature in the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana and practiced learning skills in Italy and Spain.

Scientific Master's degree accomplished in Slovene and Italian literature.

My first job led me to Rome where I was a professor of Slovene language and literature at the University of Rome - La Sapienza Roma and RAI Roma journalist - translator and journalist of Slovene broadcasts. I was also the translator to Slovenian politicians and diplomats in Rome from Prime Minister to the President of the Republic of Slovenia.

I worked for the Italian Ministry of Education as a translator, creator of exams for Secondary schools in Italy where Slovene is the working school language / mother tongue /.

At the end of the nineties I went to Spain to Madrid as the spouse of the Slovenian Ambassador in Spain, Cuba and Andorra, with a series of diplomatic activities and giving classes of Slovene language and literature (cyclical lectures) at Complutense University of Madrid for the students and professors of Slavic languages.

From Madrid I moved to Brussels as the spouse of the Slovenian ambassador to the EU with many diplomatic activities. It was during the time when Slovenia joined the EU. I was fully involved in the integration of the Slovenian language into the European School and at the same time I focused on writing and publishing.

Over the years, I also competed with CLL-Language Centre under the auspices of the Catholic University of Leuven as a professor of Slovene and Italian language for the needs of the CLL Centre and for CLL IE (European Institutions) as a professor of the Slovenian language for European Institutions.

For more than a decade, I was also a representative of Slovenian parents of children at the European School - Uccle. I was the initiator of the change of the curriculum in the Slovene language, the initiator for having more hours of Slovene, the initiator of reforms at the European Schools regarding the mother tongue!

I was also the organizer and performer regarding the promotion of Slovenian cuisine at the same school for charitable purposes.

In the last ten years, I have published five poetry collections!

Agenda, aphorisms and poems 2007-8, Granules of sand, Heart and Thought (poems and the collection of Aphorisms), Breviary of life - the note of the soul / The first four poetic collections I am a co-author / and Love without home alone as Dragica Čarna, my new artistic name.

My last two collections of poems were chosen by Americans to enter the most prestigious library in the world, the Library of Congress in Washington.

Long-term education and studies from alternative holistic treatment methods / Reiki / Master Reiki, holistic healer.

Since 2017 I am deeply involved in the interpretation of poetry through flamenco and contemporary dance, flamenco music, the interpretation of poetry in different languages with different artists of the world, especially from the world of flamenco. We created together the poetic-dance performance Love without a Home with music and dance and performed with it in Belgium, the USA and Slovenia.

My time outside Slovenia is the time of many literary evenings with the interweaving of poetry and music in Belgium for members of the Slovenian community and foreigners.

Member of Slovenian Pen Club (Association of Writers) and Mira (Women Writers Association)

Hobbies as a mission of life include creating, writing, interweaving various types of art, organization of poetry-dance performances, flamenco dancing, astrology studies, spirituality, yoga, and holistic healing.

my testament

on the edge of time I dance for myself

the Song of Songs

© Dragica Čarna