The Handbook of Georgian Literature Irma Ratiani ed., (Brill, 2025)

Abstract

The publication of The Handbook of Georgian Literature, edited by Irma Rati­ani, is highly significant. Until now, the only English-language book devoted to the history of Georgian literature was Donald Rayfield’s The Literature of Georgia: A His­tory. Thirty years after the publication of Rayfield’s book, this new volume pro­po­ses an updated history of Georgian literature to English-language readers and researchers.

One important difference between Rayfield’s book and this volume is that Rayfield’s book is a monograph, whereas this volume brings together articles by ma­ny Georgian scholars. It consists of studies researched by specialists in different fields and is useful not only for readers who want to gain a general understanding of the history of Georgian literature, but also for students and researchers who want to study a particular period, theme, poet, or writer in greater depth.

A second difference is that this volume covers topics that Rayfield did not address. These include, for example, women’s literature and contemporary literature. Most of the writers discussed in these chapters have remained largely unknown to English readers. It is therefore highly significant that this new volume introduces recent discusses on these topics to readers outside Georgia.

The editor of the volume, Professor Irma Ratiani, has played an important role in internationalizing Georgian literature and its studies. In 2022, she and her Geor­gian colleagues hosted the XXIII Congress of International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA). It could be said that this volume itself is one of the most im­por­tant outcomes of internationalization of the studies. Just as Rayfield’s book served as the main guide to Georgian literature for the past thirty years, this new volume is likely to become an important reference for many years to come for those who wish to study Georgian literature.