Nordic Publishing and Book History: An Introduction

Abstract

As Janet Garton’s thought-provoking historical overview of _Scandinavica_’s ‘first fifty years’ in this issue makes clear, the cultures, societies and literatures of the Nordic countries are by no means restricted to a particular geographical region. As an international journal of Scandinavian Studies, _Scandinavica_ is itself part of a transnational publishing circuit that has disseminated, analysed and added to the cultural dynamics of similarities and differences that make up the Nordic cultural sphere. The journal has adapted over time to the local conditions of academic publishing, to technological, cultural and institutional changes in Britain, through personal commitments and a vibrant international community of scholars. This special themed issue of the journal that marks its 50th anniversary aims to celebrate those commitments by offering a broad view on the history and characteristics of the modern publishing business and print culture of the Nordic countries. We have invited contributions that investigate the transnational and intermedial dynamics and the great variety of agents or cultural transmitters that have enabled the circulation of Nordic literature within and out of the Nordic region. Together, the articles collected here confirm that studying Nordic literature, with a view to their material forms and the publishing circuits within which they are written, disseminated and read, offer new perspectives on the literary culture of the Nordic region.