On 3 October, a manuscript exhibition will be opened in Franciszek Smuglewicz Hall of Vilnius University Library dedicated to the International Scientific Conference Genesis – Vilnius 2025, which will take place at the Faculty of Philology of Vilnius University from October 2 to 4. The Genesis conference series is an interdisciplinary forum of genetic criticism specialists held each time in a different country. The conference in Vilnius will be the sixth in the series, with previous events having taken place in Helsinki, Kraków, Oxford, Taipei, and Bologna. This year’s theme is Genesis & Mimesis.
Bringing together philologists, historians, philosophers, and art historians, the Genesis forums are dedicated to critique génétique, a scholarly approach to the analysis of authorial manuscripts and digital writing traces, which has been actively developed since the mid-20th century and originated in France. It is considered one of the leading methodologies in the study of texts and creative processes. Genetic criticism is widely applied in the preparation of contemporary scholarly editions of modern literary, historical, and philosophical works, in both traditional and digital formats.
Juozas Tysliava (1902–1961), a fragment of a poem draft
The exhibition Correcting Hand presents manuscript documents by Lithuanian writers, scholars, and public figures, revealing the processes of creation and transformation of their works. These are the types of archival documents analysed by genetic criticism in its attempt to understand the textual development of culturally significant works and to reconstruct the author’s workshop, along with the environmental factors that influenced the writing and publication process. Alongside the more common manuscript corrections, where the author deletes or inserts passages, rarer examples are also showcased: insertions with glued additions, censorship marks, and galley proofs.
Visitors of the exhibition will see autographs by the eminent personalities of Lithuanian history and culture, such as Simonas Daukantas, Motiejus Valančius, Jonas Basanavičius, Vincas Kudirka, Maironis, Kazys Grinius, Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, Kazimieras Būga, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Kazys Binkis, Alfonsas Nyka-Niliūnas, as well as manuscripts of the well-known books “Milžino paunksmė” (In the Shade of a Giant) by Balys Sruoga, “Altorių šešėly” (In the Shadow of the Altars) by Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, “Balta drobulė” (White Shroud) by Antanas Škėma and others.
The exhibition will be on display until 28 November 2025.
2025-09-26