From National Literature to Migrant Literature: Horizons of the New “Weltliteratur”

Abstract

The boundaries of national literature are subject to constant change. At different times, national literature is considered in linguistic discourse, national discourse, and so on. At the same time, world literature, as Goethe called it, "Weltliteratur", was significantly enriched by unified literary contexts.

Migrant literature, which was established by new visions and experiences in the late twentieth and early twenty – first centuries, had an impact on several literary processes simultaneously, both on national literature and on intercultural aspects, which creates general literary trends.

From a perspective, migrant literature, as a kind of combination of poetics and politics, is denoted by different terms: Gastarbeiter literature, literature of emigrants and immigrants, literature of foreigners, literature of migrants, literature of guests, literature of labor migrants, literature of minorities, intercultural literature, multicultural literature, transcultural literature, literature in an intercultural context, interspace literature, etc. However, it is also worth noting that migrant literature has already its permanent character and main characteristics, thereby it already has a nationwide qualitativeness.

Migrant literature can be viewed as a new "Weltliteratur". As a new synthesis of languages, cultures, influences and, at the same time, an artistic representation of original visions and experiences.

In the report, we will talk about the national and intercultural aspects of migrant literature as issues of the new "Weltliteratur".