The Socialist Side of World Literature explores Socialist Realism in English-language publications since 1935. While many studies have focused mainly on the Soviet Union and Europe, often overlooking significant figures from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and marginalized groups in the First and Second Worlds, this book looks at the many crucial questions that have remained unanswered, including why the emergence of Socialist Realism in Eastern Europe constituted a pivotal cultural event for Russia. What are the similarities and differences in the influence of Social(ist) Realism on the Third World, as well as on (Semi) Fourth World minorities and marginal groups in the First and Second Worlds, in both the Global North and South? In the Cold War era, how did the prominence of Soviet and Socialist Bloc ideologies reshape the global literary landscape and the development of Socialist World Literature? Yanli He examines the rise of Socialism and Socialist Realism as a gesture of claiming a new cultural identity for Russia, considering their global impact during the Cold War and their effects on underdeveloped nations, minorities, and marginal groups in the context of racism and colonialism. At its core, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of the diversity of Socialist Literature worldwide through the lens of Minor and Small Literature, exploring the multifaceted dimensions and complexities of World Literature and Socialist World Literature.

Note from the author

My deepest gratitude to Peter Beilharz, Sian Supski, and the entire Thesis Eleven team for their invaluable support, which has made the publication of my fourth and fifth book possible: Mapping Minor/Small and World Literatures (June 2024, with Nicholas Birns) and The Socialist Side of World Literature (January 2025). My first English article, “Boris Groys and the total art of Stalinism,” published by Thesis Eleven in May 2019, played a pivotal role in the development of my book Boris Groys’ Art and Literary Theory (, in Chinese, Sichuan University Press, 2022). Additionally, Peter and Sian generously contributed their article, “Reading for the Flavor of Life and Labor: Four Social/ist Realist Novels in Mid-Twentieth Century Australia,” to the special issue “Socialist World Literature,” which I co-edited with Daniel Pratt. It was published in the Journal of Narrative Theory (Vol. 53, November 2022).

This special issue, titled “Socialist World Literature,” not only laid the essential groundwork for the forthcoming book The Socialist Side of World Literature but also highlighted the pivotal role of Moscow as the cultural epicenter of Socialist Realism. The issue explored the genre’s initial reevaluation as a significant global literary phenomenon. Building on this foundational work, The Socialist Side of World Literature advances to a deeper exploration in its second stage. The book meticulously examines the intricate dynamics and varied dimensions of Socialist Literature and Socialist World Literature. It pays special attention to the representation and narratives of minorities, marginalized groups, and small nations. Furthermore, it critically addresses the reasons behind Moscow’s decline as the central capital of socialist culture. This decline is analyzed particularly in the context of rising anti-racism and anti-colonial movements, as well as the intricate geopolitical and cultural competition during the Cold War era.

About the author

Yanli He teaches at Sichuan University, is affiliated with Brandeis University, and also serves as a Non-Resident Fellow of Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. She has published three books in Chinese: The Talking Book: Henry Louis Gates Ir.’s Literary Theory (Sichuan University Press, 2023), Boris Grovs’ Art and Literary Theory (Sichuan University Press, 2022), and Gender Poetics and Film Studies (Sichuan University Press, 2013, the first and primary author). She co-edited the English book collection: Mapping Minor/Small and World Literatures (Lexington Books, June 2024, with Nicholas Birns). She is also the author of the forthcoming English monograph: Crossing Color, Iron, and Bamboo Curtains. She has published over forty peer-reviewed articles in both Chinese and English. Her recent works have been featured in journals such as Alea: Estudos Neolatinos, The Journal of Narrative Theory, Angelaki, Space and Culture, and Thesis Eleven. Her primary research interests lie in African American Literature, Socialist Realism and World Literature (special issue “Socialist World Literature”, Nov. 2022), Film Aesthetics, Fashion Aesthetics, and Diplomacv History. She earned her PhD from Sichuan University and a Post-Doctoral Certificate from East China Normal University. Additionally, she has held visiting scholar positions at Harvard University and Stanford University.