UL ILFA Researchers at the Conference “Publishing and the Nation”

On December 7–8, an international scholarly conference entitled “Publishing and the Nation” will take place at the National Library of Latvia. The conference is organized within the event cycle “500 Years of the Latvian Book” and is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the prominent publisher Ansis Gulbis. It will encourage discussion of publishing as a cornerstone of national culture, with particular attention to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when professional publishing of the Baltic Sea region’s nations began to take shape.

Researchers from the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (UL ILFA) will also participate with papers: Signe Raudive with the presentation “The Role of Book Advertisements in Shaping a Publisher’s Public Image and Attracting Readers (1918–1940)”, and Kārlis Vērdiņš with “French Cosmopolitan Bestsellers and Latvian Publishing during the Period of Parliamentary Democracy.”

In addition, the discussion “Big Ideas, Big Projects, Big Men? Translation, Encyclopedias, and Patronage” will feature Eva Eglāja-Kristsone, Director and Senior Researcher at UL ILFA, and Senior Researcher Benedikts Kalnačs. The discussion “Attracting Audiences in the Early 20th Century: Publishing’s Response to Social Trends and the Ability to Shape Them” will include Signe Raudive and will be moderated by Eva Eglāja-Kristsone.

The conference program is available here:
https://dom.lndb.lv/data/obj/file/35222618.pdf

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required by December 5 at:
https://reg2.lnb.lv