Using the Feminine Pen in Communist Hungary: reputation of Magda Szabó in Germany, France and Britain (Accepted)

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
It is one of the supposedly unquestionable verities of studies addressing the reputation of contemporary Hungarian literature abroad that it is created in two different language environments: aesthetic reputations are created by the German literary environment, while commercial success is initiated and maintained by publishing in English. Most recently it was suggested by Adam Levy that ‘[m]any of the writers still active – Nádas, Esterházy, Krasznahorkai, Kertész and Konrád – have close ties to Germany, the region’s seat of literary consecration, which has given momentum to their popular rise in English.’ This brief description presents a rather convincing model, but does it have general applicability to any kind of literature irrespective of genre, and does it still reflect the state of affairs? And what contributes to the rise of reputations? Generalisations of this nature often simplify our perception of Hungarian literature’s circulation, in the company of complaints that Hungarian literature is largely unknown on the international circuit, and if it is, it is simply due the emergence of new, post-2000 understandings of ‘world literature.’ My proposal sets out to investigate the avenues and methods of literary consecration through the examination of the literary reputation of the immensely popular, widely translated and prizewinning author Magda Szabó. Through the examination of contemporary reviews, interviews and other reception and life-writing documents, my presentation will suggest that chance encounters and carefully nurtured personal networks play an important and perceptible role in shaping the authors’ presence and reputation in the international book market.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Zsuzsanna Varga teaches Hungarian studies at the University of Glasgow. Her research interests focus on reception and translation studies and travel writing with a focus on Central European literary cultures. Her edited volumes include The Worlds of Hungarian Writing (2016); Popular Cinema in East Central Europe (2017) and Reflections in the Library: Selected Literary Essays by Antal Szerb (2017).