Belarusian literature offers a rare and compelling perspective, shaped by centuries of resilience, folklore, and a profound connection to the land. From the timeless tales of Jan Barščeǔski, whose work “Master Zavalnya, or Belarus in Fantastical Tales” – soon available in English from Grunwald Publishing – draws readers into the mysteries and spirit of Belarusian folklore, to the philosophical and existentialist explorations of Maksim Haretski, each generation has contributed to a rich literary heritage. Yakub Kolas and Yanka Kupala, both revered as national literary figures, used poetry and prose to give voice to the Belarusian people, capturing rural life, social justice, and national pride. Authors like Uladzimir Karatkevich, through his vivid historical novels, and Vasil Bykau, with his unflinching portrayals of war, captured the strength and endurance of the Belarusian spirit, while Larisa Heniush’s poetry resonates with themes of identity, exile, and survival.
Today, contemporary authors such as Viktor Martinovich, Alhierd Bacharevič, Julija Cimafiejeva, Valzhyna Mort, Hanna Komar and others are redefining Belarusian literature with works that explore memory, identity, and the evolving complexities of Belarusian life. Their stories, rich with both tradition and innovation, confront the forces of continuity and change.
-
Alindarka’s Children, by Alhierd Bacharevič
$30.00Alindarka’s Children is a bold and imaginative novel by Alhierd Bacharevič that fuses surreal humor with a stirring manifesto for the survival of the Belarusian language and soul. Set against the backdrop of a forest where children are forced to forget their native tongue through drugs, therapy, and coercion, the story follows siblings Alicia and Avi as they escape captivity and embark on an extraordinary journey.
-
Paranoia, by Viktor Martinovich
$35.00Immediately banned after it was published, Paranoia is a novel about how dictatorships survive by burrowing into the minds of those they rule, sowing distrust and blurring the boundaries between the state’s and the individual’s autonomy.
-
Alpine Ballad by Vasil Bykau
$25.00Alpine Ballad is a haunting narrative by Vasil Bykau, masterfully translated for English readers. Set towards the end of World War II, the novel follows a Belarusian soldier and an Italian girl as they escape from a Nazi concentration camp into a harsh, snowy wilderness.
-
Pack of Wolves – Vasil Bykau
$45.00In the forests of Belarus in 1942 a group of disabled Russian partisans makes its way to a medical unit while being pursued by traitorous partisans, German soldiers, and vicious dogs.
-
Music for the Dead and Resurrected – poems by Valzhyna Mort
$22.00Music for the Dead and Resurrected is a searing collection of poems by award-winning poet Valzhyna Mort, winner of the International Griffin Prize and heralded as one of the best poetry books of 2020 by The New York Times.
-
Two Souls by Maksim Haretski, translated by Olya Ianovskaia
$19.00First published in 1919, the novel offers a vivid portrayal of class struggles and a bold critique of Bolshevism, which led to its suppression for many years. Two Souls provides a critical lens through which to view the era’s political and social dynamics.
The present translation was undertaken with meticulous effort to retain the original flow and linguistic style of the novel. Every effort was made to stay as true to the original as possible, ensuring that the nuances and depth of Maksim Haretski’s work are preserved for English-speaking readers.
This is the first translation of the novel into the English language.