Sviatlana Kurs Has Died. Her works combined the magic of vibrant life and ruthless psychological depth. In her public appearances and on Facebook, she showed sharp anti-imperialism and elegant lyricism

The works of Sviatlana Kurs, who most often wrote under the pseudonym Eva Vezhnavets, combined the magic of vibrant life with deep, sometimes ruthless psychological depth; a joyful fascination with the everyday and an awareness of life's inevitable dramas.

Sviatlana Kurs possessed a unique memory of childhood, rare empathy, and a perfect language passed down from grandmothers and great-grandmothers. All of this came from the Polesia region. Her works, and first and foremost the novella «What Are You Going For, Wolf?», which many call a novel, entered the golden fund of world literature.

A large selection of her recent and older texts, interviews, and statements can be found below this article. Also below is a link to Nasta Rovda's big 'Tok' interview with her.

Sviatlana Kurs was born and grew up in a village in the Lyuban district, and entered literature in parallel with her entry into journalism and her participation in the struggle to preserve Belarus's independence in the 1990s.

In those years, Sviatlana Kurs actively collaborated with various independent media, including writing for 'Nasha Niva'.

In ARCHE magazine and 'NN', she also published her first stories: «We Two Khokhliki» and «The Archivist's Visit».

Later, for many years, she worked as a journalist for 'Euroradio', for which she had to (as Lukashenka's regime did not allow the creation of independent radio stations and TV channels in the country) move to Warsaw. She thought it would be for a couple of years, but ultimately lived there until her death — in the Wola district, which she dearly loved for its noble folk character, so close to her heart.

In 2008, her first book, 'The Path of Petty Scoundrels', was published in the 'Nasha Niva Bookstore' series, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of our publication. It consisted of stories in which the reader encountered a gallery of originals, sometimes marginal figures, but always very vivid characters — village alcoholics, witches, ordinary women with difficult fates, and ghosts of the past. (The novella «The Path of Petty Scoundrels» was originally printed in the paper version of 'NN' with a continuation.)

The novel «What Are You Going For, Wolf?» was released in 2020. This book is considered one of the best Belarusian works of the 21st century. In 2021, the writer received the Jerzy Giedroyc Award for this novel. The novel has been translated into German, Polish, Swedish, Lithuanian, Norwegian, English, and other languages, opening up a convoluted and harrowing Belarusian history to the European reader.

Until 2021, she used to visit Belarus, her native land. After the start of mass repressions, the path was closed to her, a principled opponent of Lukashenkaism and imperialism, but she continued to live Belarus online.

Sviatlana Kurs not only wrote prose but also spoke on various platforms, commenting on social, political, and cultural processes in Belarus. She maintained her Facebook page with such sincerity, elegance, and lyricism. She herself was just like that page.

Her three last posts there:

«Dears, perhaps someone is traveling from Minsk to Warsaw soon and could bring me the book 'From Spring to Spring'? Please write me a private message» (July 7).

«Are White Naliv apples already being sold in Warsaw?» (July 6).

«People are drawn to the Belarusian language; they really want it, and it's very difficult. Because desire isn't enough. You also need to have something to say. Some things and messages that are truly important to *you* — not castles, churches, Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Otherwise, it's a straw fire. And expressing something truly important in an appealing but poorly mastered language is three times harder. I'm reading Threads» (July 6).

Speak Belarusian, write Belarusian, adhere to our traditions. This will be the best tribute at Sviatlana Kurs's grave.

Revisit, remember this great Belarusian writer: a great interview with Sviatlana Kurs on 'Tok' below

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