Nabokov and Borges: (ir)retrievable past and (in)imitable self

Nabokov and Borges — two authors whose comparison and juxtaposition today seem inevitable. There are many similarities: both were born in 1899, both became emigrants, both wrote in a sophisticated modernist style, and both spent their last days in Switzerland. Their remarkable poetry remains overshadowed by their prose. Both became famous as sophisticated writers, commentators, and outstanding lecturers, but neither became a philologist in the strict sense. Almost all Borges’ book covers feature a complimentary quote from Nabokov about how freely one breathes in Borges’ labyrinths. 

However, despite all the external similarities and widespread mutual compliments, the relationships — both between Borges and Nabokov, and between their texts — turn out to be complex and contradictory. Nabokov is a poet of individuality, while Borges is an advocate of repetition. Affection alternates with irritation, Nabokov is disappointed in the Argentinian’s texts, and Borges does not include Nabokov’s books in any of his numerous anthologies. 

We will delve into the key differences and points of intersection during the B. V. Kovalev lecture "Nabokov and Borges: (Ir)retrievable Past and (In)imitable Self".