New from Five Leaves: From Revolution to Repression, Soviet Yiddish writing

It is painful that Joseph Sherman is not around to see this book. He fell ill in 2008, just after delivering the first draft of the book, and never recovered, dying in 2009. We postponed the book, fully expecting to work with him when he recovered. His untimely death meant we did not have the heart to continue and the project was shelved. Eventually we realised that the 60th anniversary of the death of the writers included here was due, prompting us to return to the book. The story of August 12 1952 has already been covered in this blog, an entry or two back, so I won't repeat the story, but can now announce that the book is available now from the website below post free in the UK. Overseas buyers might prefer to use http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ which is post free for other countries.
This book has for once merited the booktrade saw of "long awaited", by friends and colleagues of Joseph in this country, in America and his native South Africa, as well as his family.
We hope in publishing the book to commemorate the Yiddish writers but also Joseph Sherman who saw this book as important in memorialising them.
Here's the order link: http://www.inpressbooks.co.uk/from-revolution-to-repression-soviet-yiddish-writing-1917-1952/

August 12 1952, advance notice of memorial event this year

August 12 1952 commemoration

Advance notice
From Revolution to Repression: commemorating the Soviet Yiddish writers executed on August 12th 1952
Five Leaves Publications and Jewish Music Institute are holding an international event to mark the 60th anniversary of the executions
Sunday 12th August 2012
2.00pm to 5.00pm
School of Oriental and African Studies, lecture theatre G2, Russell Square campus, London (Russell Square tube)
Speakers: Gennady Estraikh, Associate Professor New York University on the Soviet Yiddish writers; Robert Chandler, translator of Vassily Grossman's Life and Fate, on Vasily Grossman and Isaak Babel
Music from the Soviet Jewish world: Polina and Merlin Shepherd
This event will also launch From Revolution to Repression: Soviet Yiddish writers 1917-1952, edited by the late Joseph Sherman, published by Five Leaves
Admission free
Light refreshments will be available
RSVP and further information mailto:myra@fiveleaves.co.uk
www.fiveleaves.co.uk
The illustration here is by Chagall, the cover of a small volume of poetry "Troyer" (Grief) published in Yiddish by the Kulture Lige in Kiev in 1922, as a fundraiser for a Jewish orphanage. The poems are by Dovid Hofshteyn, one of the poets killed on August 12 1952, and will appear in translation in From Revolution to Repression.

August 12 1952

One of the saddest literary memorial dates is August 12, 1952, the day when Stalin murdered many of the leading Soviet Yiddish writers, together with other members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. The writers included Dovid Bergelson, Peretz Markish, David Hofstein, Leib Kvitko and Itzik Fefer. Others had already been killed, including the novelist Der Nister and the theatre director and actor Solomon Mikhoels, but it was this event that closed the era of left-wing Soviet Yiddish literature, and, together with the Czech Slansky trials, indicated Stalin's late anti-Semitic turn.

Five Leaves' f0llowers might recall an earlier announcement that we would be publishing a book of fiction and poems, From Pogrom to Purge, by the murdered writers, edited and mostly translated by Joseph Sherman. This book was near publication when Joseph became very ill and then died, with some minor parts of the translation incomplete. The book was put back, naturally, and for some time I did not have the heart to return to Joseph's book, yet wanted it to appear as a memorial to his scholarship and in memory of the writers. We were planning to finally complete the book this year when we realised that next year is 60th anniversary of the trial and execution, so it made sense to postpone the book yet again, but bring it out for the 60th and organise a suitable event around it. This is acceptable to Joseph's family and we will announce the details of publication in due course. Meantime, apologies to those waiting on the book. I am sure you would agree that it should appear for the 60th anniversary.