A History of the Book in Scotland 1880-2000
Lead Research Organisation:
University of the Arts London
Department Name: London College of Communication
Abstract
The Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland, 1880-2000 is the fourth volume of a major scholarly work, to be published by Edinburgh University Press, which will chart the history of the Scottish book within national and international contexts. Volume 4 tracks the history of the book in Scotland during a period of great social, political and economic change, and answers some key research questions relating to the production, circulation and reception of Scottish texts in the twentieth century.
This project represents a significant attempt to investigate contemporary trends in book trade, publishing and print culture activity in Scotland, framing the results within an interdisciplinary context that is the hallmark of the emerging field of Book History. This field of research has wider intellectual implications than is sometimes realised. 'Book History' is an interdisciplinary area of enquiry, encompassing research into literacy and reading practices; relaf1ons among publishers, authors, agents, and readers, information technology and evolving communication networks. The interdisciplinary demands of such research widen its importance beyond the specialist historian and the general field of bibliography, encompassing material of significance to other academic fields -such as social, political and cultural history, business and intellectual history, the history of International innovation in technology, material and social history. While the proposed project will meet a felt need amongst scholars of Scottish culture, it will also be of tremendous value to scholars of other national traditions, offering insight into book trade connections between Scotland and British, European and 'New World' counterparts, and highlighting matters related to twentieth century diasporas, national and trans-national identities and Scotland's place in a globalised marketplace. The project's aim of transcending traditional disciplinary borders well suits the AHRC's commitment to supporting innovative cross-disciplinary research.
This project represents a significant attempt to investigate contemporary trends in book trade, publishing and print culture activity in Scotland, framing the results within an interdisciplinary context that is the hallmark of the emerging field of Book History. This field of research has wider intellectual implications than is sometimes realised. 'Book History' is an interdisciplinary area of enquiry, encompassing research into literacy and reading practices; relaf1ons among publishers, authors, agents, and readers, information technology and evolving communication networks. The interdisciplinary demands of such research widen its importance beyond the specialist historian and the general field of bibliography, encompassing material of significance to other academic fields -such as social, political and cultural history, business and intellectual history, the history of International innovation in technology, material and social history. While the proposed project will meet a felt need amongst scholars of Scottish culture, it will also be of tremendous value to scholars of other national traditions, offering insight into book trade connections between Scotland and British, European and 'New World' counterparts, and highlighting matters related to twentieth century diasporas, national and trans-national identities and Scotland's place in a globalised marketplace. The project's aim of transcending traditional disciplinary borders well suits the AHRC's commitment to supporting innovative cross-disciplinary research.
People |
ORCID iD |
| David Finkelstein (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Finkelstein, D
(2009)
Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, vol. 8: Transport and Communication in Scotland