The common writer in modern history / / ed. by Martyn Lyons.

• MitwirkendeR: Ashplant, T. G.,; Elspaß, Stephan,; Gerber, David A.,; Gómez, Antonio Castillo,; King, Steven,; Lyons, Martyn,; Magnússon, Sigurður Gylfi,; Moss, David,; Salmi-Niklander, Kirsti,; Schechter, Brandon M.,; Stanley, Liz,; Turunen, Risto,; Ólafsson, Davíð,
• HerausgeberIn: Lyons, Martyn,
• Place / Publishing House: Manchester : : Manchester University Press, , [2023]; ©2023
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (264 p.) :; 12 images

This book underlines the importance of writing for the subordinate classes, and the variety of uses to which it was put. In eleven new studies by thirteen leading historians of scribal culture, it foregrounds the ‘common writer’ and contributes to a ‘New History from Below’. The book presents pauper letters, ego-documents, life-writing of various kinds, soldiers’ and emigrants’ correspondence, handwritten newspapers and graffiti in streets and prisons, analysing the major genres of ‘ordinary writings’. The studies draw on different disciplines, including cultural history, sociology and ethnography, folklore studies, palaeography and socio-historical linguistics. They range from the early modern Hispanic Empire to twentieth-century Australia, including studies of modern Britain, Iceland, Finland, Italy, Germany, South Africa and the USA. The book demonstrates the importance of studying manuscript culture to give a voice, a presence and dignity to the ordinary protagonists of history.

Table of Contents

Front Matter -- Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- Notes on contributors -- 1 The common writer in history -- 2 Writings on the walls -- 3 ‘No more for Now or Praps Never’ -- 4 Common writers in German-speaking countries from the eighteenth century to the twentieth century as agents of a language history from below -- 5 Narrating injuries and injustices -- 6 Music and affective signalling in an immigrant letter from 1844 -- 7 Pen, paper and peasants -- 8 Questioning ‘the common writer’ -- 9 Madlands -- 10 Copying, citing and creative rewriting -- 11 Choreographing correspondences -- 12 ‘Dear Prime Minister’ -- Select bibliography -- Index