Unknown East Europe Literature
Books and authors from East Europe seek a Western audience.
Why aren't great works of literature from Central European, Southeastern European, Eastern European, or the Baltic authors more familiar to the English-speaking audience?
Many important writers have emerged out of Eastern Europe – particularly during the 20th century. Why isn’t a Western audience more familiar with books (which are not only about East European nationals, but are about the human condition) that have been written and published in Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, the Baltics, and even contemporary Russia?
The problem is such that even voracious readers don’t recognize that it is a problem, so unknown and unpronounceable do authors’ names from Eastern Europe seem. This is changing, but ever so slowly.
Literary Traditions
In some cases, the literary traditions of Eastern European countries are relatively new. After all, even Russia’s strong literary heritage only really took off in the era of Pushkin during the 1800s. Other countries, whose national languages went through revivals and standardization even more recently than that (Lithuanian, for example), have somewhat fewer pieces of significant literature that are both accessible and relevant to a contemporary international audience.
Soviet Rule
Soviet and Communist rule during the 20th century stifled artistic freedom all over Eastern Europe. Many authors were seen as dangerous threats to government authority. This caused writers to go underground with their work or risk exile or death. In addition, the national agendas of Soviet countries specified that the West was not to be kept abreast of Eastern European countries’ internal workings; even if these authors had been encouraged to write, and their work offered to an international audience, censors would have made their writing unrecognizable even to the authors who composed them.
Translation
Due to the relatively low number of translators for languages with smaller speaking populations, and the even slimmer number of those with the skill and desire to translate significant works while maintaining the integrity of said works, makes English-language versions of novels, short stories, and poems slow to reach a Western audience. The requirements for translating a book from its original language to English necessitate the equivalent of native ability in both languages.
Small Presses, Limited Notoriety
For books published in smaller countries, the press runs may be relatively small compared to those in the North America. Smaller countries, with smaller populations of native speakers, will naturally have smaller audiences. This means that great books from Eastern Europe have fewer opportunities to get noticed by an international audience.
Those Names!
If you can’t pronounce an author’s name, or even read it to yourself, you’re probably less likely to pick one of their books off the shelf. Those pointy marks, those accents, those many-syllabled, tongue-twisting, conversation-halting, saliva-inducing names are enough to make any self-satisfied reader skip from Tsvetaeva to Twain when checking the bookstore for the next good read. After all, wouldn’t it be embarrassing to ask what you had just been reading and not be able to speak the author’s name without a lot of spitting and stammering?
Eastern European authors have told moving, emotional, amazing stories, explored numerous literary styles, and have chronicled the histories of their countries through the eyes and actions of memorable characters. The Eastern European world of literature is just waiting for a Western audience to recognize its international importance.
