Publication of the first volume of the History of Baltic Literary Culture with the support of the Literature Centre

The handbook “Balti kirjakultuuri ajalugu” (History of Baltic Literary Culture I. Centres and Carriers) has been published by University of Tartu Press. The compiler of the book is Liina Lukas; the editor is Katre Kaju, and there are four employees of the Literature Centre among its authors: Martin Klöker, Ulrike Plath, Jaan Undusk and Kristi Viiding.

The first volume of the planned 8-volume history of Baltic literary culture tells the story of the coming and dissemination of the written word to the Estonian and Latvian territories up to 1840, looking simultaneously at texts in different languages. This volume provides an overview of the centres of written culture and the carriers of the written word, showing how the necessary institutional framework was created for the functioning of written culture and how the literary public was shaped. These were crucial to the foundation for written culture in the Estonian and Latvian languages.

The compiler and editor-in-chief of the series is Liina Lukas. The authors of Volume I include Vahur Aabrams, Meelis Friedenthal, Tiina-Erika Friedenthal, Katre Kaju, Tiina Kala, Kairit Kaur, Martin Klöker, Lea Leppik, Liina Lukas, Anu Mänd, Pärtel Piirimäe, Ulrike Plath, Aivar Põldvee, Tiiu Reimo, Aiga Šemeta, Jaan Undusk, and Kristi Viiding. The editor of the volume is Katre Kaju, and the design is from Stuudio Stuudio (Agnes Ratas).

Support for the book was provided by the Ministry of Education and Research, the University of Tartu, the Under and Tuglas Literature Centre of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. Research was supported by the Centre for Excellence in Estonian Studies (Regional Development Fund of the European Union).