Toward a History of Colonial Publishing: Historiographical Suggestions and Research Perspectives

Colonial and post-colonial publishing constitutes a prismatic field of research, depending on whether attention is directed towards actors within the colonising nation, settlers in colonial territories, or indigenous populations, and whether the perspective adopted is national, supranational, or global. As such, colonial publishing may be situated within national, transnational, or world histories of publishing. This article, engaging with this complex scenario, surveys key historiographical efforts to rethink the history of the book beyond the boundaries of the nation-state. It also outlines a range of methodological approaches and research perspectives, with particular attention to the Italian colonial context. The analysis underscores the importance of considering the full spectrum of publishing outputs, the mediating role of publishers, readerships, and instances of connection and hybridity. The density and complexity of cultural processes and practices call for an interdisciplinary-or cross-methodological-approach: alongside colonial and postcolonial studies, African studies, book history, periodical and media studies, insights from cultural studies, art and film history, Italian studies, comparative literature, and linguistics are equally valuable.