He who is ‘willing to make a book of anything’ – on the literary activities of Wincenty Ignacy Marewicz

ENThe article discusses the literary activity of Wincenty Ignacy Marewicz (Vincentas Ignacas Marevičius, 1755-1822). Marewicz was one of the few men of his generation to become a professional writer. The literary activity became his way of ensuring a more secure material and social position. The article investigates how Marewicz envisioned writing as a profession and the publishing possibilities that were open to him. The focus is greater on his literary activity in Vilnius, which has been less researched in historiography. The article presents an exploration of Marewicz’s autobiographical works as well as the dedications and introductions of his books, wherein the writer encoded his intentions. The article then discusses Marewicz’s relationship to the individuals he dedicated his work to and what means the writer had at his disposal with respect to the publication and distribution of his books. The conclusion presents a discussion of how typical and how unique the case of Marewicz was in the Enlightenment period. Keywords: Wincenty Ignacy Marewicz (Vincentas Ignacas Marevičius), Enlightenment writer, literary activity, Vilnius. [From the publication]

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