This is the first book-length study of the outstanding generation of Leningrad poets whose careers began during the Khrushchev Thaw. The text brings together memoirs, interviews, and archival research to construct an account of the world of poetry in Leningrad, in which many now-famous figures began writing. The author describes the institutions, official events, unofficial groups, and informal activities that were attended by many young poets, including the pre-eminent poet of this generation, Iosif Brodsky. Alongside a detailed study of Brodsky¿s work from the early 1970s are close readings of two other major poets from this generation whose work has often been overlooked, Viktor Sosnora and Dmitry Bobyshev.

The Author: Emily Lygo studied Russian at the University of Oxford, where she completed her D.Phil. in 2006. She is now Lecturer in Russian at the University of Exeter.

Contents: Leningrad Poetry ¿ Khrushchev Thaw ¿ Russian Poetry ¿ Socialist Realist Poetry ¿ Iosif Brodsky ¿ Dimitry Bobyshev ¿ Viktor Sosnora ¿ Aleksandr Kushner ¿ Russian Literary Underground.