Zoltan Jan
Slovenska književnost v italijanskih antologijah jugoslovanskih književnosti po letu 1945
Slovene Literature in Italian Anthologies of Yugoslav Literatures After 1945
Slovenski sinopsis
English synopsis
English summary
Slovenski sinopsis
V repertoarju italijanskih knjižnih prevodov slovenskih leposlovnih del imajo velik delež antologije jugoslovanskih književnosti. Prispevek osvetljuje repertoar predstavljeih del in razčlenjuje okoliščine, v katerih so te antologije nastale. Predstavljene so številne vezi ter ozadje različnih polemik, ki so se pojavljale ob izidu obravnavanih del. Po opozorilu na nekatere manj obsežne in manj znane objave slovenske književnosti kot dela jugoslovanske v italijanskih tematskih antologijah svetovne literature se prispevek zaključuje z razmislekom, kakšne posledice je imelo predstavljanje slovenske književnosti v okviru jugoslovanskih literatur.
English synopsis
A substantial part of Italian translations of Slovene literature published in book form has appeared in anthologies of Yugoslav literatures. The repertoire of Slovene works presented in these anthologies is reviewed, as well as the circumstances in which the anthologies were published. The rich network of ties among individuals behind the publishing of Slovene literature in Italy is explained, together with the background of various polemical debates aroused by the publication of the anthologies. After calling attention to several more modest and less known presentations of Slovene literature as part of Yugoslav literature in Italian thematic anthologies of world literature, the author discusses the consequences of this presentation of Slovene literature within the framework of Yugoslav literatures.
English summary
The fate of Slovene literary texts in Italian anthologies of Yugoslav literatures after 1945 appears to have been the same as that of all Italian anthologies of Slovene literature. The selection matches Slovene quality criteria in literature, but the works chosen are neither problematized nor commented upon, a consequence of the fact that the main role in their editing was played by Slovenes. This rules out discussion about the most pertinent and interesting questions that might emerge from establishing differences in the Slovene and Italian perception and interpretation of representative works of Slovene literature. What can be done, however, is an analysis of reasons for the production of Italian anthologies of Yugoslav literatures and circumstances in which they were compiled and published. On this level, the same motivation is found again and again: attempts to overcome Italian readers' unfamiliarity with and indifference towards Slovene literature. This research unveils a vast panorama of creative ties existing among passionate Slovene promoters of Slovene literature in Italy. Profound polemic debates provoked by the anthologies confirm how sensitive and risky any anthology editing may be.
Throughout all these efforts, very few people were aware of the fact that Slovene literature was getting increasingly unrecognizable in the conglomerate of the state Yugoslav culture. This development calls for additional considerations in approaching the literary history phenomena under discussion. Without this being their objective, anthologies of Yugoslav literatures contributed towards establishing the concepts of 'Yugoslav culture' and 'Yugoslav literature', although these two concepts were never supported by any serious expert. Yet, there exist documented testimonies to the fact that it was virtually impossible to have foreign publishers consider publishing a Slovene-only anthology. A general atmosphere of all-Yugoslav cooperation in the country was paralleled by the image of a single, unified country abroad, where the cultural diversity of Yugoslavia was not known. Until the mid-1990s, Yugoslavia was much more clearly present in the collective Italian mind than Slovenia. All this has had impact on the position of Slovene literature in Italy.
