The Representation of Literary Criticism in the Multicultural Sphere and the General Importance of a Comprehension of Cultural Processes

The praxis of literary criticism must not extend merely to the realm of national literature, but also to interpretation in its discrete application to foreign literatures, valuing this as something equally vital, desirable, and necessary.

Multiculturalism defines the environment necessary for a healthy, functioning cultural critique which helps guard a national literature against closing in on itself in isolation. How well are the post-Imperial (Russia), central-European (Poland), and eastern-European (Ukrainian) schools of criticism fulfilling that role in the sphere of world literature? In what way are echoes of distinctively national literature still audible in contemporary criticism? Has the very concept of a "national" literature and criticism outlived its usefulness? These questions and more were addressed by participants of the "Representation of Literary Criticism in the Multicultural Sphere" roundtable – an event sponsored in conjunction with the 20th Lviv Publishers’ Forum.

The discussion was part of the "Context-2" School of Literary Criticism and Print Journalism.