Fyodor Dostoevsky’s A Writer’s Diary first appeared in 1873.
A Writer’s Diary was a hybrid publication combining journalism, literary criticism, memoir, political commentary, fiction, and reflections on current events. Dostoevsky initially issued it as a regular section in the magazine The Citizen, where he served as editor in 1873.
He later developed the project into a largely solo periodical, published in installments during the late 1870s. The work became one of his most direct outlets for discussing Russian society, religion, nationalism, education, crime, and literature. It also included short fictional pieces and accounts of personal experiences.
Readers sometimes confuse its first appearance with its later independent publication. Although the diary became strongly associated with its own periodical format, its initial appearance dates to 1873 through The Citizen. Dostoevsky continued revising and expanding the project until shortly before his death in 1881.