Contemporary Jewish Writing in Europe

Vivian Liska is Professor of German Literature and Director of the Institute of Jewish Studies at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She is author of The Night of the Hymns: Paul Celan's Poems, 1938–1944 (in German). Thomas Nolden is Professor of German at Wellesley College, where he directs the comparative literature program. He is author of In Lieu of Memory: Contemporary Jewish Writing in France.

• ContentsForeword by Alvin H. RosenfeldAcknowledgmentsIntroductionThomas Nolden and Vivian Liska1. Secret Affinities: Contemporary Jewish Writing in AustriaVivian Liska2. Writing against Reconciliation: Contemporary Jewish Writing in GermanyStephan Braese3. Remembering or Inventing the Past: Second-Generation Jewish Writers in the NetherlandsElrud Ibsch4. Bonds with a Vanished Past: Contemporary Jewish Writing in ScandinaviaEva Ekselius5. Imagined Communities: Contemporary Jewish Writing in Great BritainBryan Cheyette6. A la recherche du Judaïsme perdu: Contemporary Jewish Writing in FranceThomas Nolden7. Ital'Yah Letteraria: Contemporary Jewish Writing in ItalyChristoph Miething8. Writing along Borders: Contemporary Jewish Writing in HungaryPéter Varga with Thomas Nolden9. Making Up for Lost Time: Contemporary Jewish Writing in PolandMonika Adamczyk-Garbowska10. De-Centered Writing: Aspects of Contemporary Jewish Writing in RussiaRainer Grübel and Vladimir NovikovList of ContributorsIndex

"This volume presents an overview of Jewish writing in post-World War II Europe. Striking a balance between close readings of individual texts and general surveys of larger movements and underlying themes, the essays portray Jewish authors across Europe as writers and intellectuals of multiple affiliations and hybrid identities. Aimed at a general readership and guided by the idea of constructing bridges across national cultures, this book maps for English-speaking readers the productivity and diversity of Jewish writers and writing that has marked a revitalization of Jewish culture in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, and Russia."—Joseph Haberer, Book Editor, SHOFAR, Volume 27, Number 2, Winter 2009"This volume should prove useful not only for educators planning to use the material in classrooms but also for scholars and general audiences seeking recommendations for literature on specific themes. . . ."—Shofar". . . the essays indicate that contemporary Jewish writing in Europe is constantly evolving; this volume not only helps bring us closer to understanding the complicated nature of that evolution in the recent past, but also inspires us to imagine what shape it might take in the future.Vol. 27.3 Spring 2009"—Lisa Silverman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee"Recommended for any person or congregation interested in European literature in general and Jewish literature in particular.Fourth issue 2009"—Evelyn Pockrass, Church and Synagogue Libraries"Liska . . . and Nolden . . . insightfully contextualize historic and cultural national frames and elucidate common themes and genres of post-Holocaust literature. In addition to offering strong essays on familiar Austrian, German, and French works, the volume elucidates less-familiar writers of Poland, Russia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Scandinavia through close readings of major figures or broad national overviews. . . . Recommended."—Choice". . . A remarkable collection of intelligent, clearly written, and extraordinarily useful essays. . . . a valuable resource for all of us in the field."—Emily Budick