The Twenties

Varlam Shalamov (trans. Cathy Porter)

The Twenties captures the revolutionary energy of 1920s Moscow through the memories of poet and communist Varlam Shalamov. Celebrating the creativity, optimism, and experimental spirit of a generation of writers and artists, Shalamov portrays figures such as Mayakovsky, Pasternak, Meyerhold, Babel, and many others with remarkable empathy and humour. Written in 1962 but unpublished until now, this first English edition reveals a vibrant portrait of Soviet culture before its later tragedies. Combining personal recollections, literary sketches, and historical insight, the book presents a unique document of a remarkable era and introduces a lesser-known side of one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers.