On Thursday, 2 July, the third discussion evening in the series On Her Path – Conversations with the Realisers of Zofka Kveder’s Ideas took place in the garden of Villa Zlatica. The guest of literary and cultural historian Dr Katja Mihurko, moderator of the discussion series and head of the Programme Committee of the Year of the Writer Zofka Kveder, was Simona Semenič – playwright, dramaturge, writer and performer, one of the most prominent contemporary Slovenian creators, one of the initiators of the Year of Zofka Kveder and a member of its Programme Committee. Her work is characterised by artistic boldness, social engagement, and a continuous exploration of the boundaries of theatrical and literary expression.
The central theme of the conversation was the legacy of Zofka Kveder and its relevance more than a century after her work was created. Simona Semenič emphasised that one of Kveder’s greatest strengths was her ability to clearly articulate her life experiences and place them within a broader social and historical context. She sees this as one of the particular values of Kveder’s work, as many women were neither able nor allowed to express their experiences in the same way.
Although the two authors are separated by a century, Semenič pointed out that many inequalities still remain. The pressures of a patriarchal environment may be less visible today, but they continue to influence women’s inner experiences and perceptions of themselves. She feels a particular connection with the themes also explored by Kveder – love, motherhood, relationships between women and men, as well as feelings of shame and guilt. Even today, a female artist is often perceived as someone who does not conform to social expectations.
During the conversation, she also highlighted the importance of the invisible heroines of history. In her view, history too often celebrates great names while overlooking the many women whose everyday work and care for their families enabled life itself to continue.
A significant part of the discussion was dedicated to feminism and solidarity. The speakers recalled that Zofka Kveder showed extraordinary solidarity towards women and her colleagues, but that her constant giving of herself often came at the cost of her physical and mental health. For this reason, Simona Semenič understands solidarity as a shared responsibility rather than a burden placed on an individual woman.
At the end of the conversation, she also reflected on balancing creative work and motherhood, emphasising that feminism is intended for all women, regardless of their life choices. If a woman feels inferior because of social expectations or certain perceptions of feminism, then, in her view, something is wrong. As she said, she can never switch off her “feminist brain” – it is precisely this perspective that enables her to recognise, even today, questions of inequality that Zofka Kveder was already addressing more than a century ago.
