Palčica
author: Michel Serres (Mišel Ser)
Atelje A22 Publishing House has published the book Thumbelina (Petite Poucette), one of the most important works by contemporary French philosopher Michel Serres, now appearing for the first time in a Montenegrin-language translation.
What does it mean to be “Thumbelina” in the 21st century?
In this essay, Serres explores a generation living in the era of digital connectivity. This “networked generation,” whose members he symbolically calls “Thumbelinas” and “Thumbelins” — alluding to the role of the thumb in using modern technological and digital devices — demonstrates how fundamentally the ways people learn, communicate, and work have changed.
Serres introduces us to a new cognitive paradigm: a world in which written knowledge is no longer the central axis of European civilization. Rather than viewing this shift as the end of established civilizational values (as is often assumed), he boldly suggests that new generations may give rise to a more democratic and ecologically conscious civilization.
In this short yet powerful text, Serres reflects on the transformative impact of the digital revolution on a new generation — young people whose learning, communication, and ways of living are shaped by technology and constant connectivity. The book raises key questions about education, culture, and society in the digital age, highlighting not only its challenges but also the possibilities of a networked world.
Serres argues that this new generation could build a more democratic and environmentally aware society than the one we know today. Thumbelina is both a philosophical essay and an inspiring vision of the future, encouraging readers to rethink their own relationship to technology and knowledge.
Michel Serres (1930–2019) was Professor of the History of Science at Stanford University, a member of the Académie française, and one of the most influential French thinkers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He authored numerous important works in philosophy, science, literature, and culture. His writings, marked by lucid metaphors and an interdisciplinary approach, shaped generations of contemporary intellectuals, including Bruno Latour.
The publication of Thumbelina enables local audiences to engage with a work that became a bestseller in France and is now considered essential reading for understanding the era of the digital revolution.
Impresum
Palčica
Michel Serres
Translation from French: Dr. Kristina Bojanović
Cover illustration: Srđa Dragović
Graphic design: Atelje A22
Extent: 80 pages
Format: 12 × 18 cm
Binding: paperback
Year of publication: 2025
ISBN: 978-9940-8787-6-4.
