Memoria [EN] No 38 (11/2020) | Page 16

Accordingly, it seems appropriate to describe this literature as quasi-camp and to speak of a new trend that may be temporarily popular.

Is it worthwhile, then, to reach for publications of this trend? There is no clear answer to this question. It is impossible to get acquainted with all books about the camp that have appeared in the last two years. Of course, classifying all of them as pseudo-camp books and collectively discrediting them based on analysis of only a few is inadmissible and unfair to the authors of those that may have been developed with greater credibility. Nonetheless, for an inexperienced reader, looking for a valuable and authentic title on the subject of Auschwitz amidst the clump of contemporary editions is like looking for an exit in the dark in unknown territory. Choosing the right one is only a matter of luck. All the more so because the titles labelled as best-sellers (sometimes even before their premiere), widely applauded and recommended in social media as deserving readers' attention, sometimes turn out to be pieces of trash for

which the success is not attributable to literary or factual value, but to a carefully planned promotional campaign.

So, how does one separate the grain from the chaff and recognise quasi-camp literature? Sometimes it suffices to look at the name of the author, see what competencies they have to deal with a given topic and what literary legacy they possess to date. Most importantly, however, it is advisable to explore classic memoir publications written by survivors. It is worthwhile to look at the accounts and