Founded in 2005, [Translit] is an independent small press publishing and a literary and theoretical journal presenting a community of artists, poets, philosophers and humanities scholars.
While the editorial team was working on them, they became divided – one group remained in Russia, and the other established itself in what they called the “E-position”, signifying Europe, Emigration, or Exile.
After more than a year of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the rise of fascism within Russia itself, Russian-speaking authors face diverse challenges depending on their geoposition of speech. Some of those who stay must negotiate with censorship and carefully phrase their words, while others encounter entirely different obstacles abroad. One of these challenges involves a persistent suspicion (of oneself) of cultural expansionism.
In Russia, discussing and opposing the war is a difficult task, whereas in Europe, speaking out against the war is easier, but using the Russian language presents its own difficulties. Ironically, due to this unique historical situation, we all find ourselves lacking words, as expressed by the phrase “bol’she net slov” on the cover of the most recent issue of [Translit], published in Russian in St. Petersburg. The inaugural issue, released in Marseille, continues the foreign-language numbering of [Translit]. Its slogan is “sens en (é)migration,” and it delves into the idea that the meaning of each statement in today’s context is split into two parts, with the meaning itself becoming migratory.