Last autumn, the University Library exhibited several books signed by major Russian authors such as Ivan Bunin.  Vera Tsareva-Brauner, of the University’s Slavonic Section, who found the autographs, will talk about her extraordinary discoveries on 28 May at 5pm in the Library.  The talk is open to all.

Vera will talk in particular about book dedications written by Nobel Prize laureate Ivan Bunin in the first editions of some of his most significant books.  Finding these long-forgotten autographs prompted fascinating research into the books’ history and provenance and also resulted in the uncovering of the life stories of the people to whom Bunin dedicated the books. The names, lives and significant contributions of these figures to the preservation of the Russian cultural heritage in exile have, until now, often been neglected. The unearthing of these autographs brought them out of the shadows and back to life.

The talk will focus on the stories surrounding the Library’s collections of émigré writing, touching in particular on the role of Professor Dame Elizabeth Hill. It will also illuminate the fascinating life and achievements of the dedicatees of two of Bunin’s autographs, the Kulmans, with whom he enjoyed a decades-long friendship. The talk, which will include a display of these rare books, will be a fascinating journey into the past that will appeal to Russianists, historians, bibliophiles and literature-lovers alike.

The talk will take place in the UL’s Milstein Room at 5pm on Tuesday 28 May.  All are very welcome.  Booking is essential, through this link.

The online version of the exhibition remains available online here.