The Case of Estonian Literature
author: Piret Peiker
Discourses of Modernity tells a compelling and long overdue story of the ways in which Estonian modernities, its nation- and state-building
have been narrated and presented, but also constructed and reconstructed, by its major literary figures. Extending from the emergence of the national identity in the nineteenth century to the post-Soviet transition period, the book not only fleshes out the shaping of key modern ideas and imageries, such as freedom, change and History, in literature, but also places these in their broader historical and political contexts. While a major contribution to Estonian and Baltic intellectual history, Discourses of Modernity also integrates these into the wider European history of literary, cultural and political ideas.
— Liisi Keedus, Professor of Political Philosophy,
Institute of Humanities, Tallinn University
In this meticulously researched monograph, readers can explore the twists and turns of Estonia’s literary and cultural evolution, from the 19th to the 21st century. The book work offers a fresh perspective on modernity and postcolonialism, illuminating the complexities of Estonia’s cultural trajectory while contributing to broader discussions on latecomer and postcolonial modernities. It is certainly a must-read for anyone interested in Estonian literature and culture, but will be highly useful for all scholars of modernity and postcolonialism, or the intersection of social thought and belles-lettres.
— Epp Annus, author of Soviet Postcolonial Studies: A View from the Western Borderlands
Modernizations and modernisms, colonialisms and postcolonialisms, translations and appropriations, as well as globalization and nationalisms—these issues resonate globally today. Discourses of Modernity beckons those captivated by these universal themes—but also invites readers to explore the rich tapestry of Estonian literary masterpieces through insightful case studies. Beginning with Lydia Koidula, the founding mother of Estonian literature in the nineteenth century, and concluding with contemporary Estonia’s most celebrated author, Andrus Kivirähk, the book charts Estonia’s journey towards modernity, seen through the prism of the nation’s preferred genres: historical fiction and historical fantasy.
— Igor Pilshchikov, Professor and Chair, Department of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles
Piret Peiker is a postdoctoral researcher at the European Research Council financed project in intellectual history Between the Times: Embattled Temporalities and Political Imagination in inter-War Europe, based at Tallinn University, Estonia. She received her doctoral degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Turku, Finland. Prior to her present position she served as the head of the Juri Lotman Semiotics Repository (the archive and library of the semioticians Juri Lotman and Zara Mints) at Tallinn University, simultaneously teaching courses related to cultural theory, studies of nationhood, and postcolonial studies there. She has also been teaching and doing research at the Estonian Institute of Humanities, Tallinn; the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London; University of Copenhagen; University of Latvia, Riga; Institute of Advanced Studies, Kőszeg. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on the topics of nationhood, modernity, postcolonialism, entangled history, techniques of translating historical fiction and their impact on political imagination.
She writes in Estonian and in English, some of her work is available in Hungarian and Russian. This book is her first monograph.
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