Petition to Print More Works of Belarusian Literature

Soviet Writers Petition the Belarusian Communist Party Leaders for a New Publishing House to Print More Works of Belarusian Literature, 20 July 1971

This petition urges authorities to expand publication of Belarusian literature, arguing that language, culture, and readership demand greater space within the Soviet publishing system.

Original Source: NARB (National’nyi arkhiv Respubliki Belarus’), f. 1126, op. 3, d. 641, ll. 167-170.

Translated by Simon Young

To: First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belorussia Comrade P. M. Masherov

In recent years, book publishing has continued to develop successfully in our republic. In the past five years alone, the number of publications released annually in the Belorussian Republic has increased from 1,741 in 1966 to 2,174 in 1970. Their total print runs were 21,019,000 and 25,171,000 copies, respectively.

To help address the tasks faced by the republic in recent years, the publication of works on socio-political and socio-economic topics has increased considerably in recent years. While 266 such titles with a total print run of 2,071,000 copies were released in 1966, in 1970 there were 425 titles in these categories, with a print run of 4,109,000 copies.

Other genres of books have also seen significant growth in publication numbers, including in the spheres of education (school and university textbooks), reference works, and publications on science, technology, agriculture, medicine and art.

The publication of works by Belorussian writers has increased to some degree. Between 1961 and 1965, a total of 531 books by the republic's writers were published, with a print run of 9.11 million copies, whereas during 1966-1970 our publishing houses released 700 such books, with their print run growing to 18,666,000 copies.

Despite this growth, the demand for Belorussian literature and for books translated from the languages of the other Soviet nations and socialist countries is far from being satisfied. The quantity of published works of fiction (including reprints and translations) has remained at almost the same level each year: in 1966, 136 such books were published; in 1967, 135 books; in 1968, 152 books; in 1969, 139 books; and in 1970, 138 books. Original works of fiction number within the range of 60-70 titles published annually.

It should be borne in mind that many new, young writers have emerged in Belorussian literature in recent years. Their works have taken their rightful places in our literature and enjoy great popularity among readers. The senior generation of Belorussian writers is also actively engaged in creative work. The republic's Union of Writers currently has around 300 members.

A situation has come to pass where the Belarus' publishing house has accumulated a large number of new manuscripts, all waiting in a queue to be published, which does little to stimulate our writers’ creative work.

Too few books by writers from other nationalities of the USSR, from socialist countries and by progressive writers of capitalist countries are published in Belorussian translation (5-7 books a year). Readers from across the Soviet Union become acquainted with the best works of Belorussian literature in Russian translation only after a significant delay, and not to the fullest extent possible.

The Belarus' publishing house, which is responsible for publishing all first editions of literary works as well as the majority of reprints and translations, does not currently have the means to increase its publication rate for books written by Belorussian writers. As an organisation with a diverse publishing profile, in order to achieve such an increase, it would need to reduce its publication of socio-political, memoir, popular science and children's literature, as well as reference, medical and legal works, and books about music and art.

In light of the above, the State Committee for Publishing of the BSSR Council of Ministers and the Executive Board of the BSSR Union of Writers have put forward a proposal to the CC CPB to establish the Mastatskaia Litaratura [Literary Works] publishing house in the republic. The main task of this new publisher should be to release, on a more efficient basis, large quantities of original works written by Belorussian writers, including works of prose, poetry, dramaturgy, criticism and literary criticism, selected and collected works, and literature in translation.

Setting up this new publisher would help to resolve another important task: it would allow the Belarus' publishing house to devote more attention to producing socio-political, socio-economic, memoir, children's, medical, reference, legal, and other books, as well as art-related goods, all of which are also urgently needed.

It is our view that the Mastatskaia Litaratura publishing house would be able to achieve an output figure of 200-220 titles annually, with a volume of 2,000-2,100 publishing sheets. (The current annual volume of literary works produced in the republic is 1,110-1,200 publishing sheets).

It would be advisable to establish five editorial departments in the new publishing house: for prose; poetry; dramaturgy, criticism and literary criticism; selected and collected works, and literature in translation. We suggest distributing the number of books released each year between these editorial departments approximately as follows:

prose – 40-60 books
poetry – 50-70 books
dramaturgy and literary criticism – 40 books
selected and collected works – 40 books
translations – 40 books, including literature of:
the nations of the USSR – 20
socialist countries – 10
progressive writers of capitalist countries – 10

According to preliminary calculations, the Mastatskaia Litaratura publishing house could be made cost-effective through the release of mass print runs of the best works written by Belorussian writers in Russian translation, for sale outside the republic.

The editorial staff responsible for original works of Belorussian literature and for reprints and translations which is currently based at Belarus' will be transferred to the new publishing house. Books published in the latter category provide the main share of Belarus' profits. On account of this, the Belarus' publishing house should remain in charge of publishing the classics of Russian and foreign literature, which are required by a wide readership, including school pupils and university students studying humanities. In this case, the Belarus' publishing house will also remain profitable.

Establishing the Mastatskaia Litaratura publishing house will require additional allocations of approximately 900 tonnes of typographic paper, and a certain amount of other publishing materials (bookbinding cloth, cardboard, ink, etc.) for our republic. It will also be necessary to increase the remuneration fund by approximately 300,000-350,000 roubles.

The staff for the new publishing house will be drawn up on the basis of the existing regulations on performance norms for individual editors, based on the total volume of publishing sheets for the publishing house.

G. Konovalov,
Chairman of the State Committee for Publishing
of the BSSR Council of Ministers

M. Tank,
[signature]
Secretary of the Executive Board of
the BSSR Union of Writers

20 July 1971