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Articles

Literary perspectives: An introduction

The re-transnationalization of literary criticism


Literary criticism in the more narrow (European) sense of the word – meaning texts discussing and criticizing recently published books – is today a very national affair. Almost all books reviewed in daily newspapers, weeklies, and journals are published in the country where the reviewing medium appears. Single reviews or general overviews of books written in other parts of the world and not (yet) translated – be they poetry, short stories, or novels – are extremely rare.

Literary perspectives


Eurozine's series Literary perspectives provides an overview of diverse literary landscapes, describing the current literary climate in specific European countries, regions, or languages.

Carl Henrik Fredriksson
Introduction: The re-transnationalization of literary criticism
Gábor Csordás
Hungary: Mastering history through narrative?
Matt McGuire
Northern Ireland: Shaking the hand of history
Ales Steger
Slovenia: A hollowed-out generation
Timofiy Havryliv
Ukraine: Longing for the novel
Margot Dijkgraaf
The Netherlands: "Profound Holland" and the new Dutch
Märt Väljataga
Estonia: Waiting for the Great Estonian Novel
Daniela Strigl
Austria: Anything but a "German appendix"
Jonas Thente
Sweden: Beyond crime fiction, handbags, and designer suits
Andrea Zlatar
Croatia: Post-traumatic stress disorder
This was not always the case. Not so long ago, both newspapers and magazines regularly reported on and discussed contemporary literature published outside their respective domestic scenes. Many publications even had their own "literary correspondents", stationed in Paris, Rome, and Madrid (or New York, Moscow, and Berlin). The focus was, of course, on the "bigger" literatures, written in French, German, Spanish, and English, but at least some efforts were made to widen the horizons of an educated and interested audience. Today, this type of outlook is almost completely limited to occasional themed issues and focal points published by literary journals. Even in this small sector of publishing, the situation is far from satisfying: the continuity is gone, and when a focal point or a theme issue is presented (often covering 50 or 100 years of a country's literary history) the stress is put on the literary texts. If there is any literary criticism at all, it usually deals with one particular author. Articles painting a broad picture of what is really contemporary are rare exceptions.

The situation is not equally bad everywhere. In Germany you can – even in the cultural sections of the major daily newspapers – occasionally find well-informed reviews of, or at least comments on, newly published books from, for example, Poland, Ukraine, or Russia. Occasionally. In most other parts of Europe there is simply nothing.

There are several reasons for this development (the decline of the literary institution, changes in the publishing business, or even "globalization") but it is safe to say that there is still a need – in the idealistic as well as the practical or professional sense – for a "re-transnationalization" of literary criticism.

"Literary perspectives" is a step in this direction. Eurozine's new series of essays aims to provide an overview of different and diverse literary landscapes, describing the current literary climate in specific European countries, regions, or languages. The articles in this series are published bi-monthly. Written by renowned literary critics and authors based in the respective countries and regions, they will also represent different critical traditions and practices, and thus widen the meta-critical as well as the literary horizons of Eurozine and its readers.

 



Published 2006-01-30


Original in English
© Carl Henrik Fredriksson
© Eurozine
 

Focal points

European histories

http://www.eurozine.com/comp/focalpoints/eurohistories.html
For solidarity to exist in the enlarged EU, an historical awareness must be developed that includes the experiences of new members. [more]

Media landscapes: Central and eastern Europe

http://www.eurozine.com/comp/focalpoints/medialandscapes.html
How Media autonomy in Europe's "newer democracies" is being inhibited by market forces and continuing political intervention. [more]

The malady of infinite aspiration?

http://www.eurozine.com/comp/focalpoints/financialcrisis.html
Sound in principle or sick at heart? Articles on the financial crisis, compiled under Durkheim's memorable phrase, "the malady of infinite aspiration". [more]

Editor's choice

Laurent Mauriac, Pascal Riché
Online journalism: Transposition or transformation?

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2009-05-22-mauriacriche-en.html
The editors of the pioneering French politics website explain their concept for bridging the gap between print and the Internet. [more]

Literature

Andrea Zlatar
Literary perspectives: Croatia
Post-traumatic stress disorder

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2009-03-31-zlatar-en.html
Common to new Croatian writing is the postwar experience, with marginal characters exploring tensions between individual and society. [more]

Katharina Raabe
The read expanse

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2009-04-16-raabe-de.html
In the twenty years since the fall of communism, literature has been lifting the fog settling over the historical expanses of eastern central Europe. [more]

Conferences

Eurozine emerged from an informal network dating back to 1983. Since that time, a variety of European cultural magazines have met once a year in European cities to exchange ideas and experiences. In the meantime, approximately 100 periodicals from almost every European country have become involved in these meetings.
European histories
The 22nd European Meeting of Cultural Journals
Vilnius, 8-11 May 2009

http://www.eurozine.com/comp/focalpoints/vilnius_european_histories.html
The 22nd European Meeting of Cultural Journals took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, 8 to 11 May 2009. Under the heading "European Histories", the Eurozine conference explored the role of history and memory in forming new identities in a Europe in change. [more]

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