This volume on the Book in Ireland, originally published in France, brings together contributions by scholars in Irish studies from both countries and by Irish professionals in the field such as writer-publishers and curators.
In three different sections, it explores the relation between Irish people and the printed word in various contexts, beginning with the emergence of private presses which, from the late 19th century onwards, and following the example of William Morris’s Kelmscott Press in England, renewed a time-honoured editorial and typographical tradition. It highlights the importance of the printed word in the passing on and circulating of ideas, through translation, teaching, political propaganda, or the publishing of literary anthologies.
It emphasizes the major role played by periodicals in Irish cultural life and the building of an Irish identity in a country where, for a variety of reasons, people were in the habit of reading more newspapers and magazines than books.
Significantly originating from France, where the conceptual framework of the history of the book was devised, this volume brings under scrutiny many previously unexplored aspects of the field.
Praise for the book:
‘These are all scholarly essays of real rigour and originality. The collection is a commendably bold and wide-ranging introduction to the Irish book in its many guises and languages.’
Declan Kiberd, Professor of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama
UCD School of English and Drama
Inspired by William Morris, and carried along by the impetus of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Celtic Revival, a great many publishing houses came into being at the beginning of the 20th century in Ireland. Most of them pursued the ideal of the “Book Beautiful” and devoted themselves to the cause of a literature of quality. Between 1967 and 1974, the Irish University Press continued to shape the publishing landscape; the Raven Arts Press stood out for its non-conformist spirit, rejecting the values of the Irish Renaissance, but discovering young talents and reprinting forgotten authors. One consequence of this effervescence was to stimulate readership. The study of the production and circulation of publications reveals both the desire to assert a national identity, including a renewed interest in the Gaelic language, and the wish to spread ideas, as shown, for example, by the propaganda newspaper published by the Sinn Féin Printing and Publishing Company. Encouraged by the creation of Aosdána, Irish writing showed a diversity eminently illustrated by the authors of The Field Day Anthology. From as early as 1830, periodicals took advantage of the increasing habit of reading and developments in printing: as they were cheaper than books, they became a principal means of access to literature for Irish people. The abundance of magazines such as The Dublin University Magazine, Studies and The Honest Ulsterman were ample testimony to the variety of social and cultural preoccupations.
The Book in Ireland, edited by Jacqueline Genet, Sylvie Mikowski and Fabienne Garcier, explores these various enterprises and their impact.
