Literary journals and the professionalization of the Luxembourg literary system (1960-1980)

Abstract

Two factors characterize post-war literature in Luxembourg: first, literary production consisted mainly of war and Heimat literature, mostly written by older and conservative authors. Moreover, there were hardly any literary institutions and publishers at the time and consequently only a very limited literary scene. In the 1960s, however, a young generation of relatively unknown authors started to challenge the dominant discourses and traditional formats by introducing new forms and topics into the literary system. At the same time, literary journals were founded, which allowed these authors to publish their texts and to present themselves to the public. An analysis of their programmes and publication practices shows that these – mostly ephemeral – journals not only contributed to the expansion of the literary repertoire but also had an important impact on the professionalization of Luxembourg literature in general. Against this backdrop, the article describes the crucial role of these journals in the development of the literary system as a whole and argues that aesthetic and institutional systemic shifts are always interdependent.