Levstik was born in 1831 in Dolnje Retje^[1] (now part of the municipality of Velike Lašče) in Lower Carniola (then part of the Austrian Empire, today in Slovenia) in a peasant Slovene family.

Levstik was the first notable writer of Slovene epic prose. Among his most known works are the short tale Martin Krpan From Vrh (Slovene: Martin Krpan z Vrha),^{[citation needed]} which became a classic work of Slovene literature, and the itinerary A Journey from Litija to Čatež (Popotovanje iz Litije do Čateža),^{[citation needed]} the main objective of which is a literary manifesto. In the critical essay Napake slovenskega pisanja, he exposed his views on the development of the Slovene literary language.

Levstik was one of the main exponents of the Young Slovenes, a progressive and radical political group akin to the Young Czechs in the Czech Lands that challenged the then prevailing influence of conservatives, led by Janez Bleiweis, within the Slovenian National Movement. In his late years, he grew closer to Pan-Slavist ideals.

Levstik and his literary program had a great influence on future generations of Slovene authors of national liberal views, especially Josip Jurčič, Josip Stritar, Janko Kersnik, Anton Aškerc, Janez Trdina and Ivan Tavčar.

Slovene composer Breda Šček set Levstik’s texts to music.^[2]

He died in Ljubljana after a period of serious mental illness, which included delusions of a religious nature.^[3] He was buried in the former St. Christopher's Cemetery^[4] in the Bežigrad district of Ljubljana.

The Levstik Award for achievements in children's literature is named after him.^[5]

• Works by or about Fran Levstik at Internet Archive