This talk will present Reindeer Caravan: An Anthology of Indigenous Writing from Siberia – a book that is currently being prepared for publication with Amherst College Press.
At the center of the volume are works by authors from minority (non-titular) Indigenous groups of the North, Siberia and the Far East (Korennye malochislennye narody Severa). Reindeer Caravan includes texts by both established and emerging authors, representing nine Indigenous peoples, from Khanty in the west to Itelmens in the East. Each chapter is preceded by a brief author’s biography, short commentary on their Indigenous group, and an overview of their literary output, focusing on the represented texts. This talk will offer a glimpse into two of the volume’s chapters. As one of the co-editors, Filimonova will provide a critical introduction to the volume, including commentary on the historical, cultural and political context. She will also discuss the political and linguistic challenges encountered by the editors and translators.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Tatiana Filimonova is an Assistant Professor of Russian at Dartmouth College. As a scholar of contemporary Russian prose, her research lies at the intersection of literature, history, and politics. Dr. Filimonova has published on contemporary writers such as Victor Pelevin and Vladimir Sorokin, as well as on Siberia in film and is currently researching Indigenous ecological writing surrounding hydroelectric dam construction in Siberia. She has a special interest in empire studies, Eurasianism, nationalism, and geopolitics.
This event is co-sponsored by the UBC Centre for European Studies, the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies, and the Department of English Language and Literatures.
