WORD FORGE: Histories of publishing production in Mexico (XVI-XXI centuries)
Synopsis
In recent years, the digital revolution in publishing, books, and publications has shaken our understanding of various aspects of written culture and reading. These changes seem extreme in many ways, largely due to the deep-rooted traditions surrounding these subjects across different eras. In this context, research groups focused on bibliology have emerged, fostering reflection on these transformations while also serving as an ideal platform for studying both the distant and recent past. Thanks to the temporal horizon in which we exist, we have a solid foundation for presenting diachronic studies that document the essence of various historical moments.
One such research group is the Interdisciplinary Seminar on Bibliology (SIB-IIB-UNAM) at the Institute of Bibliographic Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, founded in June 2012. Over its more than ten years of existence, the SIB-IIB-UNAM has gathered a diverse group of regular members and attendees. It has also welcomed the participation of more than a hundred distinguished researchers who have contributed as speakers in various academic, teaching, and research activities.
Embracing interdisciplinarity as its core principle and foundation, in 2022, the SIB-IIB-UNAM invited specialists, group members, and collaborators interested in these topics to present studies that, within their research lines, could contribute to a collective work on the history of publishing in Mexico. We aimed to place special emphasis on “editorial production,” understanding it not merely as an industrial stage of book and publication creation but as the various ways in which these cultural productions have been achieved throughout history.
To provide a chronological framework for examining distinct publishing practices over time—while acknowledging historical changes—we organized the work into three main sections: Perspectives on Editorial Production in New Spain, Perspectives on Editorial Production in Independent Mexico, and Perspectives on Editorial Production in Contemporary Mexico.
These sections are not intended to establish equal historical periods but rather to encompass significant political and social changes that have shaped our nation and, consequently, influenced the publishing industry. It is important to note that this book does not seek to be an exhaustive account but rather a compilation of “perspectives” on case studies within the vast history of books in Mexico. In keeping with this approach, we did not limit the content to a centralized region but instead included phenomena from various geographical areas of the country.
Viewed as a whole, the chapters in this book reveal key narratives that help us understand how editorial production has evolved in Mexico. Whether in New Spain, Independent Mexico, or Contemporary Mexico, different actors and circumstances have shaped the history of book and publication publishing. Though diverse, they are connected by an invisible thread that weaves together Mexico’s complex publishing history. While this work does not claim to be a definitive History of Publishing in Mexico, it undoubtedly contributes to the field and will hopefully serve as a starting point for future research. The book consists of thirteen essays organized into three sections following a chronological sequence.
There is still much to uncover about the history of books in Mexico—its many colors and countless forms. We trust that the perspectives presented in this journey through Mexican editorial production will enhance our understanding of written culture, both as a testament to past eras and as a field still in construction. Each bibliographic object and historical figure examined here ultimately forms part of our collective memory and provides undeniable evidence of the efforts and agents involved in their production.
Chapters
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By way of introductionWhy study publishing production in Mexico over time?
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PART ONEA LOOK AT PUBLISHING PRODUCTION IN NEW SPAIN
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Peninsular women in the novo-Hispanic printing industry (16th and early 17th centuries): articulation and evolution of their professional status
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On the edition of the novo-Hispanic lyric poetry: the poetic jousts, between the institutional program and the festive tradition
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The alterations of the sky.The editors of the 17th century comet controversy in Mexico City
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The compilation and edition of the geographical relations of New Spain, 18th century
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PART TWOA LOOK AT EDITORIAL PRODUCTION IN INDEPENDENT MEXICO
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The manifestation of the sacred in the editorial work of the Porfirian press (1890-1911).An approach to the graphic culture of the National Newspaper Library of Mexico
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The press as an appendix to ecclesiastical censorship in nineteenth century Mexico (1821-1855)
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Seriation and “brand effect”: reflections on editor-author interaction based on the case of Ignacio Cumplido and José Tomás de Cuéllar
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Trinidad Pedroza: the printer who changed printing in Aguascalientes
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PART THREEA LOOK AT PUBLISHING PRODUCTION IN CONTEMPORARY MEXICO
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Miguel N. Lira: author and editor of children's literature
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Between militancy and pedagogy.The first books of the Fondo de Cultura Popular (1941-1949)
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Covers by Ediciones Era, Joaquín Mortiz and Siglo XXI.Editors from the inconotextuality
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Autonomy, independence and the role of the state in publishing production in Mexico in the 21st century: Librosampleados and La Tinta del Silencio
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Digital self-publishing models and their adaptation in Mexico
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