History of Printing and Publishing Systems
A.Y. 2022/2023
Learning objectives
The course aims to address the theme of the recognition of the creative personality of authors, what is generically called authorship and which has been established since the eighteenth century, associated with the broadening of the book market and the recognition (first in England, then in France, and from the nineteenth century in Italy) of copyright. The course is divided into three teaching units: the first is dedicated to the construction of authorship and the laws concerning authors between the 18th and 20th centuries; the second enters into the merits of how publishing was transformed between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Italy, and the third addresses the types of mediums which transform text into a book, from institutions such as censorship to those internal to the publishing process like proofing and translating.
The teaching is fully consistent with the objectives of the Course of Studies, and in particular the publishing curriculum, which aims to ensure the acquisition of solid historical, literary and legal knowledge in the field of the production and circulation of the book, with the identification of all social actors involved in the publishing system.
The teaching is fully consistent with the objectives of the Course of Studies, and in particular the publishing curriculum, which aims to ensure the acquisition of solid historical, literary and legal knowledge in the field of the production and circulation of the book, with the identification of all social actors involved in the publishing system.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: They should be able to master the historic transformations of the Italian publishing system with a focus on the European context, and the different editorial functions in the transition from text to book; they will need to know different research methodologies, with attention to the complexity of the sources and the different types of archives (with all the possible figures and functions of publishing mediums).
Skills: The student will need to be able to analyze the historical contexts in which cultural projects and publishing activities develop; they should understand the types of sources used; they will have to be able to compare different publishing strategies through the analysis of catalogues and to demonstrate that they have a critical capacity regarding different documentary sources (memories, autobiographies, reading opinions, censored texts, etc.).
Skills: The student will need to be able to analyze the historical contexts in which cultural projects and publishing activities develop; they should understand the types of sources used; they will have to be able to compare different publishing strategies through the analysis of catalogues and to demonstrate that they have a critical capacity regarding different documentary sources (memories, autobiographies, reading opinions, censored texts, etc.).
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Writing, publishing and reading: authors, publishers and readers (18th-20th C.).
The course aims to present, in the first part, the historiographical debate from the history of books and publishing professions to the history of reading in recent decades.
The second part analyse the evolution of the relationship between authors and publishers from the late 18th century to the late 19th century and how the "author function" changes with the recognition of copyright. It also focuses on the effects produced by the sacralization of the author in terms of the publication of dictionaries of distinguished authors, the construction of national literary and artistic canons, the erection of statues and monuments for authors such as Dante, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Voltaire and Walter Scott, and the opening of writers' houses and museums. It also analyzes the emergence of a culture of attribution that led, during the 19th century, to the publication of national dictionaries of anonymous and pseudonymous authors throughout Europe.
The third part aims to dwell on twentieth-century Italian publishing, tracing it from the perspective of the relationship between authors and publishers, through the papers of publishing archives that allow us to take a closer look at the complex transformation from manuscript to printed book.
Part A (20 hours; 3 cfu): From the history of the book and publishing professions to the history of reading. Sources and methodologies.
Part B (20 hours; 3 cfu): The sacralization of the author in the late 18th and 19th centuries: dictionaries of distinguished authors, of anonymous authors, construction of literary canons, emergence of museum houses.
Part C (20 hours; 3 cfu): Cultural archives and the documentation on the role of publishing mediation.
The course aims to present, in the first part, the historiographical debate from the history of books and publishing professions to the history of reading in recent decades.
The second part analyse the evolution of the relationship between authors and publishers from the late 18th century to the late 19th century and how the "author function" changes with the recognition of copyright. It also focuses on the effects produced by the sacralization of the author in terms of the publication of dictionaries of distinguished authors, the construction of national literary and artistic canons, the erection of statues and monuments for authors such as Dante, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Voltaire and Walter Scott, and the opening of writers' houses and museums. It also analyzes the emergence of a culture of attribution that led, during the 19th century, to the publication of national dictionaries of anonymous and pseudonymous authors throughout Europe.
The third part aims to dwell on twentieth-century Italian publishing, tracing it from the perspective of the relationship between authors and publishers, through the papers of publishing archives that allow us to take a closer look at the complex transformation from manuscript to printed book.
Part A (20 hours; 3 cfu): From the history of the book and publishing professions to the history of reading. Sources and methodologies.
Part B (20 hours; 3 cfu): The sacralization of the author in the late 18th and 19th centuries: dictionaries of distinguished authors, of anonymous authors, construction of literary canons, emergence of museum houses.
Part C (20 hours; 3 cfu): Cultural archives and the documentation on the role of publishing mediation.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of the historical-cultural context of the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries; good knowledge of the interpretative instruments (useful) for the reading of methodological and critical contributions.
Teaching methods
Lectures will be held in the presence.
The topics of the course will be tackled with the help of slides and teaching materials (reproduction of original documents, websites of printing press museums, video, power points).Students will be able to find all information about the beginning of lectures, as well as any changes in the syllabus and reference material (bibliography, etc.) on the Ariel site of the teaching.
The topics of the course will be tackled with the help of slides and teaching materials (reproduction of original documents, websites of printing press museums, video, power points).Students will be able to find all information about the beginning of lectures, as well as any changes in the syllabus and reference material (bibliography, etc.) on the Ariel site of the teaching.
Teaching Resources
PROGRAMME FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS
Part A (20 hours; 3 cfu): Part A (20 hours; 3 cfu): From the history of the book and publishing professions to the history of reading. Sources and methodologies.
One book among the followings:
R. Chartier, La mano dell'autore, la mente dello stampatore. Cultura e scrittura nell'Europa moderna, Roma, Carocci, 2015.
R. Darnton, I censori all'opera. Come gli autori hanno plasmato la letteratura, Milano, Adelphi, 2017.
M. Roggero, Le vie dei libri. Letture, lingua e pubblico nell'Italia moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021.
One book on the history of Italian publishing to choose from among the followings:
Storia dell'editoria nell'Italia contemporanea, a cura di G. Turi, Firenze, Giunti, 1997 (o edizioni successive)
I. Piazzoni, Il Novecento dei libri. Una storia dell'editoria in Italia, Roma, Carocci, 2021
G. Ragone, Un secolo di libri. Storia dell'editoria in Italia dall'Unità al post-moderno, Torino, Einaudi, 1999 (o edizioni successive)
N. Tranfaglia, A. Vittoria, Storia degli editori italiani, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2000 (o edizioni successive).
Part B (20 hours; 3 cfu): The sacralization of the author in the late 18th and 19th centuries: dictionaries of distinguished authors, of anonymous authors, construction of literary canons, emergence of museum houses.
One book among the followings:
L. Braida, L'autore assente. L'anonimato nell'editoria italiana del Settecento, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2019.
M. P. Casalena M.P. (2021), Tradurre nell'Italia del Risorgimento, Roma, Carocci, 2021.
N. J. Watson, The Author's Effects: On Writer's House Museums, Oxford University Press, 2020.
Part C (20 hours; 3 cfu): Cultural archives and the documentation on the role of publishing mediation.
One book among the followings:
A.Ferrando, Cacciatori di libri. Gli agenti letterari durante il fascismo, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2019.
Archivi editoriali. Tra storia del testo e storia del libro, a cura di V. Brigatti, A. L. Cavazzuti, E.Marazzi, S. Sullam, Milano, Unicopli, 2018.
I.Piazzoni, Valentino Bompiani. Un editore italiano tra fascismo e dopoguerra, Milano, LED Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere, Economia, Diritto, 2007.
Valentino Bompiani. Il percorso di un editore artigiano, a cura di L. Braida, Milano, Sylvestre Bonnard, 2003.
G. Fabre, Il censore e l'editore. Mussolini, i libri, Mondadori, Milano, Fondazione Mondadori, 2018.
J-Y. Mollier, Storia dei librai e della libreria dall'Antichità ai nostri giorni. Con un saggio di E. Marazzi, Roma, Edizioni e/o, 2022.s
NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: for 9 cfu teaching they have to bring the texts provided by the teaching parts A, B and C plus a book of their choice in the following list; those for 6 cfu they have to bring the texts provided by the teaching parts A and B plus a book in the following list:
E. Marazzi, Libri per diventare Italiani. L'editoria per la scuola a Milano nel secondo Ottocento, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2014.
T. Plebani, Le scritture delle donne in Europa. Pratiche quotidiane e ambizioni letterarie (sec. XIII-XX), Roma, Carocci, 2019.
E. Rebellato, "La Scala d'oro". Libri per ragazzi durante il fascismo, Milano, Unicopli, 2016.
R. Cesana, Libri necessari. Le edizioni letterarie Feltrinelli (1955-1965), Milano, Unicopli, 2010.
R. Darnton, I censori all'opera. Come gli autori hanno plasmato la letteratura, Milano, Adelphi, 2017.
M. Cervini, La prima BUR. Nascita e formazione della Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli (1949-1972), Milano, Unicopli, 2015.
Part A (20 hours; 3 cfu): Part A (20 hours; 3 cfu): From the history of the book and publishing professions to the history of reading. Sources and methodologies.
One book among the followings:
R. Chartier, La mano dell'autore, la mente dello stampatore. Cultura e scrittura nell'Europa moderna, Roma, Carocci, 2015.
R. Darnton, I censori all'opera. Come gli autori hanno plasmato la letteratura, Milano, Adelphi, 2017.
M. Roggero, Le vie dei libri. Letture, lingua e pubblico nell'Italia moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021.
One book on the history of Italian publishing to choose from among the followings:
Storia dell'editoria nell'Italia contemporanea, a cura di G. Turi, Firenze, Giunti, 1997 (o edizioni successive)
I. Piazzoni, Il Novecento dei libri. Una storia dell'editoria in Italia, Roma, Carocci, 2021
G. Ragone, Un secolo di libri. Storia dell'editoria in Italia dall'Unità al post-moderno, Torino, Einaudi, 1999 (o edizioni successive)
N. Tranfaglia, A. Vittoria, Storia degli editori italiani, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2000 (o edizioni successive).
Part B (20 hours; 3 cfu): The sacralization of the author in the late 18th and 19th centuries: dictionaries of distinguished authors, of anonymous authors, construction of literary canons, emergence of museum houses.
One book among the followings:
L. Braida, L'autore assente. L'anonimato nell'editoria italiana del Settecento, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2019.
M. P. Casalena M.P. (2021), Tradurre nell'Italia del Risorgimento, Roma, Carocci, 2021.
N. J. Watson, The Author's Effects: On Writer's House Museums, Oxford University Press, 2020.
Part C (20 hours; 3 cfu): Cultural archives and the documentation on the role of publishing mediation.
One book among the followings:
A.Ferrando, Cacciatori di libri. Gli agenti letterari durante il fascismo, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2019.
Archivi editoriali. Tra storia del testo e storia del libro, a cura di V. Brigatti, A. L. Cavazzuti, E.Marazzi, S. Sullam, Milano, Unicopli, 2018.
I.Piazzoni, Valentino Bompiani. Un editore italiano tra fascismo e dopoguerra, Milano, LED Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere, Economia, Diritto, 2007.
Valentino Bompiani. Il percorso di un editore artigiano, a cura di L. Braida, Milano, Sylvestre Bonnard, 2003.
G. Fabre, Il censore e l'editore. Mussolini, i libri, Mondadori, Milano, Fondazione Mondadori, 2018.
J-Y. Mollier, Storia dei librai e della libreria dall'Antichità ai nostri giorni. Con un saggio di E. Marazzi, Roma, Edizioni e/o, 2022.s
NON ATTENDING STUDENTS: for 9 cfu teaching they have to bring the texts provided by the teaching parts A, B and C plus a book of their choice in the following list; those for 6 cfu they have to bring the texts provided by the teaching parts A and B plus a book in the following list:
E. Marazzi, Libri per diventare Italiani. L'editoria per la scuola a Milano nel secondo Ottocento, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2014.
T. Plebani, Le scritture delle donne in Europa. Pratiche quotidiane e ambizioni letterarie (sec. XIII-XX), Roma, Carocci, 2019.
E. Rebellato, "La Scala d'oro". Libri per ragazzi durante il fascismo, Milano, Unicopli, 2016.
R. Cesana, Libri necessari. Le edizioni letterarie Feltrinelli (1955-1965), Milano, Unicopli, 2010.
R. Darnton, I censori all'opera. Come gli autori hanno plasmato la letteratura, Milano, Adelphi, 2017.
M. Cervini, La prima BUR. Nascita e formazione della Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli (1949-1972), Milano, Unicopli, 2015.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination consists of an oral interview on the scheduled subjects.
Unita' didattica A
M-STO/08 - ARCHIVAL SCIENCE, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LIBRARIANSHIP - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
M-STO/08 - ARCHIVAL SCIENCE, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LIBRARIANSHIP - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
M-STO/08 - ARCHIVAL SCIENCE, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LIBRARIANSHIP - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours