Socialist Realism in Central and Eastern European Literatures: Institutions, Dynamics, Discourses

This is the first published work to offer a variety of alternative perspectives on the literary and cultural Sovietization of Central and Eastern Europe after World War II and emphasize the dialogic relationship between the 'centre' and the 'satellites' instead of the traditional top-down approach. The introduction of the Soviet cultural model was not quite the smooth endeavour that it was made to look in retrospect; rather, it was always a work in progress, often born out of a give-and-take with the local authorities, intellectuals and interest groups. Relying on archival resources, the authors examine one of the most controversial attempts at a cultural unification in Europe by providing an overview with a focus on specific case-studies, an analysis of distinct particularities with attention to the patterns of negotiation and adaptation that were being developed in the process

“Eto prosto bukvy na bumage…” Vladimir Sorokin: Posle literatury (“It’s just letters on paper…” Vladimir Sorokin: After the Literature)

This volume is devoted to the leading contemporary Russian writer Vladimir Sorokin (b. 1955). The articles included in the collection are focused both on general principles of his poetics and individual works: texts written in the late Soviet underground, his post-Soviet bestsellers, plays, screenplays and films. Sorokin is seen here not only as a writer, but also as a media figure who created his own personal myth. The book consists of the most important works written about Sorokin for several decades, throughout his literary career, as well as new articles and Sorokin’s selected interviews