
Home and the World in Slovak Writing
A Small Nation's Literature in Context
McGill-Queen's University Press
Published on 31. March 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
396 pages
978-0-2280-2405-7 (ISBN)
Description
Literatures of small nations represent a minuscule portion of the global literary marketplace, where books written in English outnumber translated works. The struggle for visibility in relation to dominant languages and cultures is not new in Slovakia, a nation of five million whose literary history has been shaped by the influence of more widely spoken languages including Hungarian, Czech, and Russian.
Home and the World in Slovak Writing brings Slovak literature out of this isolation to tell the story of how a nation's literature can survive and thrive despite a small domestic audience and relatively limited circulation in English translation. The book demonstrates how historic events such as the post-Stalin Thaw, the Prague Spring, and the Velvet Revolution moulded the Slovak canon and situates contemporary Slovak literature in broader regional and global contexts. Through case studies of the transformations and adaptations of Slovak literature, contributors examine the changing social roles of writers, the tensions between tradition and innovation, and the dynamic interactions between influences from the outside world and domestic sources of inspiration.
Home and the World in Slovak Writing maps the relationship between geopolitical destiny and literary production at a critical moment. As relations between the East and the West are destabilized by war, the question of cultural identity has again become a matter of national survival in Central Europe.
Home and the World in Slovak Writing brings Slovak literature out of this isolation to tell the story of how a nation's literature can survive and thrive despite a small domestic audience and relatively limited circulation in English translation. The book demonstrates how historic events such as the post-Stalin Thaw, the Prague Spring, and the Velvet Revolution moulded the Slovak canon and situates contemporary Slovak literature in broader regional and global contexts. Through case studies of the transformations and adaptations of Slovak literature, contributors examine the changing social roles of writers, the tensions between tradition and innovation, and the dynamic interactions between influences from the outside world and domestic sources of inspiration.
Home and the World in Slovak Writing maps the relationship between geopolitical destiny and literary production at a critical moment. As relations between the East and the West are destabilized by war, the question of cultural identity has again become a matter of national survival in Central Europe.
Reviews / Votes
"Home and the World in Slovak Writing successfully traces transformations in contemporary Slovak literature while remaining true to its extraordinary dynamics and plurality." Zornitza Kazalarska, Humboldt UniversityMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
2 photos
Dimensions
Height: 224 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
596 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-2280-2405-7 (9780228024057)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Katarina Gephardt | Charles Sabatos | Ivana Taranenkova
Home and the World in Slovak Writing
A Small Nation's Literature in Context
E-Book
03/2025
1st Edition
McGill-Queen's University Press
€74.99
Available for download

Katarina Gephardt | Charles Sabatos | Ivana Taranenkova
Home and the World in Slovak Writing
A Small Nation's Literature in Context
E-Book
03/2025
1st Edition
McGill-Queen's University Press
€74.99
Available for download
Persons
Katarina Gephardt is professor of English at Kennesaw State University.
Charles Sabatos is professor of English and comparative literature at Yeditepe University.
Ivana Taranenkova is senior research fellow and director of the Institute of Slovak Literature of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Charles Sabatos is professor of English and comparative literature at Yeditepe University.
Ivana Taranenkova is senior research fellow and director of the Institute of Slovak Literature of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.