Oksana Levytska. RE-READING LESYA: Lesya Ukrainka’s Works in the Portfolio of Modern Publishers (Preparation of the Editions and Publishing Trends)

Abstract

In 2021 we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Lesya Ukrainka’s birth.
The writer’s legacy is represented by numerous works aimed at different target
audiences. These writings are present in portfolios of Ukrainian publishers and
receive priority support for translations abroad. At the same time, careful monitoring
of bookstores reveals that the available selection is modest in terms of titles and
quality of editions. The article aims to give an overview of the editions of Lesya
Ukrainka’s works produced by Ukrainian publishing houses and present on the
bookselling market of the independence era; analyze the general trends in the
preparation of editions, search for distribution channels and expansion of the
assortment; draw the attention of Lesya Ukrainka researchers to compilation of new
editions of her works with relevant content and form.

The review methodology is based on the method of bibliographical search since
there is no up-to-date bibliographical index of Lesya Ukrainka’s works. Therefore,
within the premises of this paper, a bibliography of editions has been collected using
library catalogs, Litopys Knyh (Book Chronicles) bibliographical publication as well
as websites of publishing houses and bookstore chains. A thematic and typological
method has been used to systematize the publications according to target audience,
functional purpose, type, and kind.
The research findings include more than 150 editions of Lesya Ukrainka’s works
published by Ukrainian publishers as well as translations made into different
languages. Close attention has been paid to the overview of works written for
children, in particular adaptations. The paper traces major trends in the compilation
of selected works dominating the existing assortment, focuses on mono editions and
collections of dramatic works, and highlights quality editions in terms of editorial and
publishing approaches. The specifics of the editions of authorial poetic collections,
prose works, and epistolary genre works have been outlined. The research presents
the first-ever overview of different types of editions through the prism of publishing
and bookselling classifications, acknowledging the completeness of assortment or
lack thereof for particular works by Lesya Ukrainka.
The conclusions summarize the selection of the editions of Lesya Ukrainka’s
works available on the book market and suggest recommendations for the creation of
new quality editions which will represent the writer’s creativity to different readers
and make it more accessible to foreign audiences.