1st International Egodocumental Network Conference
Vilnius University, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the University of Lodz, and the Egodocumental Research Group (https://egodocuments.umk.pl) organise an international conference focusing on research, development, and changing perceptions of egodocuments in the twenty-first century. The conference aims to bring together scholars from different disciplines to share their insights and to encourage interdisciplinary studies of egodocuments.
The conference will also be the first meeting of the International Egodocumental Network established in December 2023 by the Egodocumental Research Group (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and the University of Lodz) to unite scholars from different disciplines working on egodocuments. It provides a platform for discussion, collaboration, and exchange of information between the participants, as well as online research seminars organized twice a year. In this dimension, our conference continues two editions of the Scientific Symposium "Egodocuments, Life-Writing and Autobiographical Texts..." organized at NCU in Toruń in 2022 and 2024.
Keynote speakers
Dr. Nataliia Voloshkova
Kazimierz Wielki University and Oxford Brookes University
Prof. Leona Toker
Hebrew University and Shalem Academic College
Prof. François-Joseph Ruggiu
Sorbonne Université, CNRS and Oxford University
Jana Dreimane
National Library of Latvia in Riga
Egodocuments of Latvian Writers as Sources for Researching Reading during the Soviet Era
In the Soviet-occupied Latvia (1940–1941, 1944–1990), a pervasive, multi-tiered censorship system restricted the circulation of information to the content which was deemed acceptable by the authorities. Officially sanctioned information was often so biased, scarce, and disconnected from reality that much of society sought both legal and illicit means to access more comprehensive, diverse, and engaging materials, despite the prohibitions in place. Consequently, ego documents ‒ such as diaries, memoirs, and correspondence not intended for publication ‒ are invaluable for examining the true reading interests and habits of Latvian society under occupation. This study analyzes the ego documents of several Latvian writers, including Vilis Lācis, Miervaldis Birze, and Aleksandrs Pelēcis, to identify not only their primary reading sources and literary interests, but also the impact of these readings on their subsequent creative work. Additionally, this research evaluates the potential of such documents as resources for future studies on the reading culture during the Soviet era.
