Literature and Nation: How Slovene is Slovene Literature?

Abstract

Abstract Contemporary discussions often focus on questions such as What is Slovene literature and Who can be considered a Slovene writer. This shows that literature is one of the central fields of discourse related to topics including the understanding and definition of the Slovene nation and questions concerning national minorities. The authors discuss the functionality, practical value and arbitrariness of concepts such as the common Slovene cultural space, “matična” (kin-state literature) and “zamejska literatura” (literature of Slovenes living in neighbouring countries), minority literature, the supra-regional sphere of interaction, and literary affiliation. On the example of Carinthian Slovenes’ literature and with due consideration of contemporary literary multilingualism in Slovenia, the authors show that the common ethnic, identity and lingo-cultural discourses are highly problematical and do not reflect the diversity of contemporary literary practices.