Literatura: Ukrainian post-Soviet literature
Date and time:
Thursday 22 July, 2021
18:30 - 20:00
Location:
Thirty years have passed since Ukraine’s dream of independence--literally overnight--became a challenging reality, unexpected even for the dreamers. As we know now, the production of violence and wasted lives was not a byproduct of the Soviet utopia, but its intended, even required part. Since 1991, Ukraine's culture has had to deal with what it was left with - the durabilities of the imperial legacy, its rhetoric and its many hushed horrors. What was previously unspeakable had to be voiced. Poetry gained trust by dealing with the unspeakable. And then a new revolution, war and trauma engulfed Ukraine. Poetry gains weight during this calamity. It speaks back to uncertainty, hate, disruption and war losses. It conveys an alternative past-future nexus. Once in a while, it brings solace, at other times not at all.
You can either sign up to this seminar as a one-off via eventbrite, or enrol in the full Literatura course - full info here.
If you are a friend or benefactor of the Institute, you are entitled to a discount for the course. Please email us on info@ukrainianinstitute.org.uk to claim your discount and pay directly.
Included in the cost of the seminar:
- course handbook and materials, including English translations of texts studied as part of the seminar.
- access to video recording of the presentation by Dr Starovoyt.
Lecturer
Dr Iryna Starovoyt
Iryna Starovoyt is an Associate Professor of Cultural Studies Department at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and co-editor of "Ukraina moderna" - uamoderna.com. She has been a guest lecturer at the Higher East European School in Przemysl, Poland (2008-10) and Greifswald University, Germany (2010), and a research associate at Groningen University, the Netherlands (2012-2013) and Uppsala University (2017). Member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine since 1997, and the Association of Ukrainian Writers since 1999, she authored three volumes of poetry and a number of essays. Her research and publications have focused on the disputed memories and cultural counter-narratives of the 20th century Ukraine told across the shifting borders in Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, and English also covering parts of the Jewish story.
