Authoritarian Laughter

2022 BOOK PRIZE by the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies, Women’s Forum Book Prize.

“Neringa Klumbytė’s absorbing monograph is a refreshing, truly engaging and sophisticated account of the attempted imposition of the Soviet state project of authorised satire and humour in Lithuania from 1956 to 1985, as well as of resistance and accommodation to this project. Grounded in extensive original archival work, it is both a fascinating micro-history of the official satirical magazine Broom and a macro-history of political authoritarianism and the commonplace experiences of power that took place within it. The author deftly weaves in history, anthropology, ethnography, cultural criticism and political science to create a nuanced and unforgettable portrait of Lithuanian society in the late Soviet period, while also offering a compelling account of the research journey she undertook to create this book.” Rachel Morley (UCL SSEES) and Elizabeth White (University of the West of England)