VÁLSÁG VAGY VÁLTOZÁS? A KÖNYV ÉS AZ OLVASÁS A SZERBIAI MAGYAR IRODALMI KULTÚRÁBAN
CRISIS OR A CHANGE? BOOKS AND READING IN HUNGARIAN LITERARY CULTURE IN SERBIA

Author(s): Julianna Ispánovics Csapó
Subject(s): Hungarian Literature
Published by: Scientia Kiadó
Keywords: book; reading; Serbia; Hungarian literature; crisis; change;
Summary/Abstract: The dynamic development of the book publishing network, the institutional background of Hungarian literature in Yugoslavia/Serbia was gaining momentum in the second half of the 20th century. The intention to educate the working strata as readers was the dividend of a state-run, socialist-based book culture. This endeavour was aided by appropriate book publishing or distribution structures and reader event movements (book months, literary evenings, book presentations). The social crisis of the turn of the century and the crisis of the 1990s shook the position of both books and reading. The structure of Hungarian book publishers in Serbia was largely supported by subsidies from the motherland, and the development and sustainability of reading habits wavered. The digital “prosperity” of the turn of the century has also weakened the position of books and reading in this region. The question arises, should one talk about the crisis of the book, or perhaps of a slowly changing environment, due to the fact that, e.g., the e-book has appeared, albeit sporadically, as opposed to the more expensive, cumbersome, and less easily accessible printed document. The aim of the study is to provide an answer to the question posed in the title.

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