According to Swiss author Jean-Michel Wissmer, while Heidi was first translated into Japanese in 1920, it was a literary adaptation 5 years later that marked the beginning of a “true passion” for the book. This was an adaptation to suit a Japanese audience, with all of the characters given Japanese names. More than 30 editions of Heidi were subsequently published in Japan. [1]
Johanna Spyri, the renowned Swiss author best known for her beloved children’s novel Heidi, lived a life filled with literary success and creativity. From childhood, she displayed an early interest for storytelling and writing.
In 1852, she married Bernhard Spyri, a lawyer, and the couple settled in Zurich, where their son Bernard Diethelm Spyri was born in 1855. During this time, Spyri devoted herself to her family while continuing to indulge her passion for writing.
After the deaths of both her husband and son in 1884, Spyri dedicated herself completely to writing, something she would continue for the rest of her life. She moved to a new home in 1886 and produced her first stories in 1870, at age 43. Her health deteriorated and she became an invalid within a few years but continued to write novels and short stories.
Spyri initially wrote in order to assist the International Red Cross support the orphans of the Franco-Prussian War.
Published in its original German in 1881 and translated into English soon after, Heidi tells the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps and is famous for its vivid portrayal of the landscape. The book has been translated into over 55 languages and sold over 60 million copies, making it the most successful fictional German-language book in the world.
In her later years, Spyri enjoyed success, both in terms of fame and financial security. She lived a relatively quiet life in her Swiss homeland, where she found solace in the surroundings that had inspired her writing. She stated that she wrote not only for children, but for those who love children.
Spyri’s literary output slowed as she entered her later years, and her life came to an end on 7 July 1901 when she passed away from cancer at the age of 74. Although almost exclusively connected with Heidi, Johanna Spyri wrote 31 books, 27 volumes of stories and four brochures in 30 years.