I believe in the personal history of individuals over the recorded history of a "nation". It is those micro-stories that make up reality, and each of ours is slightly different from all other similar stories. That's why it's important to talk and exchange our stories openly. Literature is a good vehicle, as you point out, but it is good only when free of censorship. The first step of authoritarianism, before rewriting history, is to silence people's individual voices, if not by law, then by intimidation or ostracism. Today, the powerful corporations of social media wield unlimited power over which voices they let heard. That should be a primary concern for all of us.