News
Toward a History of the Book for Aotearoa New Zealand
21 July 2008
| Byline: | Shef Rogers |
|---|---|
| Source: | Humanities Research Network |
A team of scholars at the University of Otago is organising to compose a single-volume account of how the culture of New Zealand been communicated in print and what it means to talk about a 'print culture' in a bi-cultural nation. The volume will be arranged in four distinct sections for English-language publishing and two for Māori publishing.
The four periods of English-language publishing are:
- 1830-1890: A period of regional development related to the establishment of educational institutions, libraries, and the expansion of telegraph to Australia and of railway links within New Zealand. (Editor: Tony Ballantyne)
- 1890-1930: A period of internationalisation and entrepreneurship that sees the creation of the Industrial Conciliation Arbitration Act and the formalisation of labour relations, the vast importation of colonial editions, but also the export of locally published material to Australia as major firms like Whitcombe and Tombs expand. (Editor: Noel Waite)
- 1930-1970: This period focuses on the development of a national consciousness in New culture and publishing, aided by state support following the election of the first Labour government in 1936. Significant publishers such as A. H. Reed cultivate a strong sense of New Zealand identity and major international and academic publishers begin to open offices in the country. (Editor: Donald Kerr)
- 1970-2010: The contemporary period sees a return to an international focus in print, as both publishers and booksellers become part of multinational conglomerates. ‘Rogernomics’ signals the removal of duties and government support, while the internet and new media open up other avenues for distribution and erode the net book agreement. (Editor: Shef Rogers)
The Māori publishing section of the book will be divided into two periods, from August 1830 through 1945 and from 1946 to the present. This section will include both Māori-language publishing and publishing by Māori about Māori. (Editor: Lachy Paterson)
In late 2008 and throughout 2009 the section editors will hold two-day research meetings in Dunedin to achieve agreement on the most significant events, themes, case studies and images for the section and to plan each participant's further research efforts toward the final version of the section.
We welcome expressions of interest from scholars and advanced graduate students. Please contact Shef Rogers (shef.rogers@stonebow.otago.ac.nz).
