Voices of Russian Literature

Presenting interviews with ten established and new writers, this collection offers an insider's account of the fate of Russian literature over the past 40 years. Each writer, from Bitov to Pelevin, is critically analyzed in order to give an insight into their own world view. Voices of Russian Literature presents in-depth interviews with ten of the most interesting figures writing in Russian today. They range from established authors such as Fazil Iskander and Andrei Bitov, who began their careers in the post-Stalinist Thaw, to newcomers like Viktor Pelevin, hailed as one of the most original writers of the present era. It offers an insiders' account of the fate of Russian literature over the past four decades. Rather than cataloguing the opinions of 'dissidents' or 'defenders' of the former regime, it presents the views of artists who have sought, against the odds, to express their unique visions of a changing world. Each interview acquaints us with the author's distinctive voice and provides important insights into the genesis and interpretation of individual works. Sally Laird has prefaced the interviews with biographical and critical sketches of each writer, and her introductory essay sets the whole in historical context. Voices of Russian Literature will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in Russia's contemporary literary experience.