The Belarusian uprising in 2020 was followed by a crackdown on civil society and a massive exodus from the country. Today, independent culture is practically annihilated inside the country, while in exile it faces the task to reemerge. Literature is no exception. The crisis affects not only individual publishers, but the literary infrastructure as a whole. There is an urgent need to (a) map what initiatives are being made in this new landscape, and try to bring them into interaction with one another, and (b) to explore untraditional models of publishing and distribution that can transcend censorship and borders. The aim is to connect with Belarusian readers both in the diaspora and inside the country. What is at stake is nothing less than the very existence and future of Belarusian literature and language.
Forming a new Belarusian literary landscape
Project information
Amount granted:
2 000 000 kr
Reference no:
00287/2023
Grant recipient:
Partners:
PEN Belarus