Literary Encounters: The Beat Generation, Poland and South Africa, 1948–1968

Abstract

Despite geo-political distances, the Beat Generation writers, and individuals or groups within Polish and South African literature of the period 1948–1968, shared similar artistic outlooks, literary concerns, and thematic as well as formal experimentation in response to their socio-political situations and mainstream national literatures. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that they sought out each other’s work, despite language barriers and censorship, and that several points of confluence can be identified. This article focuses on five significant encounters or movements and considers how these might be illustrative of broader issues within transnational studies of these groups and writers.

Keywords:

• Beat Generation
• South African literature
• Polish literature
• Białoszewski
• Ginsberg
• Beiles
• cut-ups
• Hłasko
• Wojaczek
• Sestigers