The Common Writer in Modern History - 9781526170750

Manchester University Press

Explore the vital role of writing for subordinate classes and its diverse applications in "The Common Writer in Modern History" by Martyn Lyons. This collection of eleven new studies by thirteen leading historians delves into scribal culture, highlighting the 'common writer' and contributing to a 'New History from Below'. Discover pauper letters, ego-documents, life-writing, correspondence from soldiers and emigrants, handwritten newspapers, and graffiti, analyzing the major genres of 'ordinary writings'. Drawing on cultural history, sociology, ethnography, folklore studies, palaeography, and socio-historical linguistics, the book spans from the early modern Hispanic Empire to twentieth-century Australia, with studies on modern Britain, Iceland, Finland, Italy, Germany, South Africa, and the USA. It underscores the significance of studying manuscript culture to give voice, presence, and dignity to the ordinary protagonists of history. Product Summary: The Common Writer in Modern History, Martyn Lyons, Hardcover, 264 pages, published by Manchester University Press in 2023. ISBN: 9781526170750.