Lecture: The Publication History of Doctor Zhivago and the Pasternak Case — A Retrospective
Guest Lecturer: Professor Paolo Mancosu, Department of Philosophy, University of California.
What can the turbulent publishing journey of Doctor Zhivago reveal about politics, literature, and cultural power in the mid-20th century?
The Institute of Advanced Studies is honored to host Professor Paolo Mancosu as part of the Lowy Distinguished Guest Professors program.
As part of this lecture, Professor Mancosu will present The Publication History of Doctor Zhivago and the Pasternak Case: A Retrospective. He will focus on his key contributions to understanding the publication and reception of Doctor Zhivago and the historical context of the Pasternak case (Mancosu 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024). Alongside the main results — the “narrative”— he will reflect on the research process itself — the “metanarrative”— highlighting the interplay between historical documents, literary history, and scholarly inquiry.
Bibliography:
Mancosu, P. 2013, Inside the Zhivago Storm, Feltrinelli, Milan
Mancosu, P. 2015, Smugglers, Rebels, Pirates, Hoover Press, Stanford
Mancosu, P. 2016, Zhivago's Secret Journey, Hoover Press, Stanford
Mancosu, P. 2019, Moscow has Ears Everywhere, Hoover Press, Stanford
Mancosu, P. 2024, In the KGB's Crosshairs. New Soviet documents on the Pasternak and Ivinskaya cases, WriteUP, Rome
About the Speaker
PAOLO MANCOSU is the Willis S. and Marion Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a leading contemporary philosopher in the history and philosophy of mathematics and logic, combining technical expertise with a broad historical perspective. Prof. Mancosu has received numerous distinctions, including the Shoenfield Prize, the Blaise Pascal Chaire d’excellence internationale, the Prix Jean Cavaillès, the Humboldt Research Award, and the Guggenheim Fellowship.
Thursday, 11 December 2025, 18:00
Where: Room 449, Gilman Building
Greetings: Dr. Ofra Rechter, Department of Philosophy
The lecture will be conducted in English and is open to the public.
Light refreshments will be served before the lecture.
