About the book: 1977 / In the preface to this book, Konstantin Fedin writes: “I wanted to use my personal example and the example of literary biographies of Soviet writers with whom I began work, to talk about the role of A. M. Gorky in my fate and the fate of these writers. By depicting Gorky’s interactions with a small number of young authors, my peers, I thought of depicting his impact on Soviet literature in the earliest period of its emergence, in the process of initial growth.” These words give a comprehensive idea of ​​the book, the new edition of which is brought to the attention of readers.