Traditions and innovations of the Gorky strategy of book publishing for children

Book publishing for children in Russia has a long and glorious history. In the first half of the 1920s, children’s literature was regularly published by two specialized publishing houses: Raduga and G. Mirimanov. Maxim Gorky, as an experienced book publisher, initiator and organizer of various publishing projects, adhered to traditions in the book business and introduced innovative approaches to children’s book publishing. The book for Gorky, a supporter of active and productive reading, has always been a work of culture and art capable of elevating a person, being an instrument of education and enlightenment. Gorky’s strategy included the preservation and enhancement of publishing experience. Gorky practiced publishing principles suitable for children’s literature in 1912 when editing Italian Fairy Tales translated by M. Andreeva. In 1917, he participated as an author and editor in the creation of a collection for children Christmas Tree in the Pams publishing house. In 1918, together with the publisher I.R. Belopolsky, the writer organized the first “pre-pioneer” Soviet magazine Severnoe siyanie. In 1933, Gorky was puzzled by the creation of a specialized children’s publishing house, for which he formed a special communicative field: he included his correspondents in the discussion of the plans of Detgiz. He turned for help in creating new children’s literature to K.I. Chukovsky, S.Ya. Marshak, M. Ilyin, S.T. Grigoriev, M. Prishvin, B. Zhitkov, Vs. Ivanov, Yu. Olesha, M. Zoshchenko, artist V. Lebedev, and others. Gorky’s appeal to children in the summer of 1933 with the question of what they read and what books they want to get was a truly innovative method of studying young readers, unique in its simplicity and effectiveness. This unique publishing strategy yielded significant results: Gorky and all those responsible for publishing books for children received reliable, truthful answers from young readers, learned the true interests and requests of Soviet children. Thus, thanks to Gorky, the interests of children began to determine the tasks and directions of the children’s publishing house, as well as the methods and forms of work of its editorial staff. In addition, involving children in discussing the problems of children’s publishing solved the problem of involving children and adolescents in reading. Gorky’s competent strategy - clear ideas about the mission, goals, objectives, orientation of the publishing house, a clear orientation to the target audience - in organizing the state children’s publishing house Detgiz, which still exists today, contributed to the formation of a special Soviet cultural space and to the change of the conceptual activity guidelines of the publishing house for children. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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