Diaspora Reads

<p><em>Diaspora Reads</em> explores the role of literature and reading practices in the community life of Russian-speaking migrants in Britain. Russophone culture abounds with myths about the special mission of literature and the writer in society. The broader cultural myth of Russian literaturo­centrism encompasses the sanctification of highbrow litera­ture the idolisation of authors as heroes and martyrs and the idealisation of avid readership. In the diaspora litera­turocentrism takes on a new form retaining elements of the Russian and Soviet tradition while primarily responding to the needs of migrant readers. Following the discussions games and celebrations of a com­munity book club in London <em>Diaspora Reads </em>dem­onstrates how collective reading enables migrants to shape shared cultural identities forge communities build a long-distance relationship with their homelands and become members of a global network of readers.</p><p>Angelos Theocharis is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Media Culture Heritage at Newcastle University.</p>