Literature always exists in interaction with society, and the writer is always tied to a specific time and space. In the history of both the 20th and 21st centuries, there are several cases when the undoubtedly excellent work of a writer is overshadowed by his political views and actions – undisguised collaborationism, intolerance towards representatives of other nationalities or even attempts to carry out a coup d’état. Is it possible to separate the writer’s works from his biography?
Along with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an active revaluation of the heritage of the occupation period and the elimination of many unwanted symbols of Soviet power began in the cultural space of Latvia. The most striking example of this is, of course, the demolition of the occupation monument on August 25, 2022. Currently, there are discussions about what to do with, for example, the monument of Andrejas Upīš and how to look at his and several other Latvian authors’ works. In this context, “Delphi” offers to look at three prominent writers of different nations, who are still controversial.
Knuts Hamsuns
The Norwegian Knut Hamsun has significantly influenced the writing of both his contemporaries and future generations, not only in his homeland, but also far beyond the borders of his country. He has published both poetry and drama, but is best known as a prose writer. With the novels “Bads” (Sult, 1890) and “Pāns” (Pan, 1894), he confirmed himself as a great master of the psychological novel. In 1920, his contribution to writing was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded for the novel “The Blessing of the Earth” (Markens Grøde, 1917).
During the Second World War, Hamsun openly sympathized with the Nazis, and had also personally met with Adolf Hitler. On April 9, 1940, when German troops invaded Norway, Hamsun urged his compatriots to lay down their arms and surrender. Currently, it is not a taboo topic for Norwegians, the facts about his collaborationism can be read, for example, on the homepage of the Knut Hamsun Center (hamsunsenteret.no). The center has been operating since 2009, takes care of Hamsun’s literary heritage and serves as a place for discussions – including conversations about the personality of the writer. The attitude towards Hamsun in Norway is still ambiguous. “We cannot help but love him, even though we have also hated him all these years,” writes Ingar Sletten Kollun, the author of Hamsun’s biography.
