Writing Under Socialism

Using a comparative approach that crosses disciplines and continents, Writing under Socialism offers a critical re-evaluation of the position of literary production under socialist states past and present using new material, theories and methodologies that have come to light since 1989. The volume brings together academic experts researching the interactions between writing and politics in diverse contexts across the former Eastern Bloc, Latin America, and China. In contrast with literary production under capitalist regimes, writers living under socialism have had to negotiate a role for themselves and their writing within an institutional framework defined by a specific political and ideological value-system and entirely administered by the state. Whilst socialist regimes tend to place a high value on literary practice, they also find it a source of potential political subversion. It is the nature of this contradiction that has attracted the attention of numerous researchers in the past. However, as the contributions to this volume demonstrate, writing under socialism involves more than the traditional dichotomy of intellect versus power and instead includes complex relationships