Narratives of transformation in South African publishing in the 1990s

Abstract

Publishing is a particularly important sector to examine when considering issues of cultural change and reconstruction, because it speaks to and seeks to represent the varied identities of the society in which it operates. This paper examines the state of the South African publishing industry in the 1990s, a time of transition and change, as well as crisis due to declines in textbook and library budgets. At a time when prevalent discourses included terms like transition, transparency, inclusivity, diversity, nation building, redemption and reconciliation, framed as a collective vision for the country, the paper considers the discourse of transformation as it relates to publishing and reading. Using articles in newspapers and journals, government and trade reports, as well as internal planning and mission documents from the publishers themselves, in this paper I assess various kinds of transformation, including the aims of both redressing the inequalities of the past, and developing a shared and more inclusive culture.