Literary Journal 2023/1. Petőfi

The Literary Journal aims to nuance our individual view of Petőfi by exploring the reasons for the unique appeal of the poet, who was born two hundred years ago, through interviews, studies, interpretations of his work and the accounts of contemporary authors.

How can Petőfi's iconic role in literary history and in our national memory be understood and updated with the necessary professional clarity? The memorial year stands as a responsible response to this question.

In addition to presenting a modern and versatile portrait of Petőfi, the aim of the compilation is to provide a critical analysis of the cult of Petőfi, to present the paradigm-shifting research of experts on the period, and to highlight new approaches, such as the work of Júlia Szendrey, her relationship with contemporary artists, or the significance of her little-known prose and drama texts.

Pedagogical, musical, cinematic and pop-cultural aspects of the afterlife of his oeuvre will be addressed, as well as a rethinking of the fundamental issues of nineteenth-century Hungarian literature, including Romanticism, politics and folklore.
The publication is illustrated by Petőfi-inspired artworks, portraits, the poet's own drawings and manuscripts, and his artifacts through a rich photo selection.