A Matter of Obscenity: The Politics of Censorship in Modern England

The history of British censorship from the Victorians to Margaret Thatcher, revealing the tensions between obscenity law and a changing society. It goes behind the scenes of major trials and uncovers the routines of everyday censorship, shedding new light on the British reception of literary modernism and popular entertainments.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 26 September 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The history of censorship in modern Britain has been a complex and evolving phenomenon, shaped by the changing social, cultural, and political landscape of the country. In the Victorian era, lawmakers and judges in Britain had to grapple with the question of whether books should be allowed to circulate freely, particularly those that were deemed to be obscene or potentially harmful to the moral and mental well-being of the working classes, who were increasingly literate and gaining political power.

The law remained largely unchanged even as society evolved, with the focus on protecting the public from obscenity and moral degradation. However, the definition of obscenity and the criteria for determining whether a book was obscene were subject to debate and controversy. In 1960, the obscenity trial over D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover became a landmark case, highlighting the tensions between obscenity law and a changing British society.

The prosecutor in the trial asked the jury whether they would even wish their wives or servants to read the book, emphasizing the perceived threat it posed to the moral fiber of the nation. Christopher Hilliard, in his book "The History of British Censorship," traces the history of British censorship from the Victorian era to Margaret Thatcher's era, exposing the complex interplay between obscenity law and a changing British society.

Hilliard goes behind the scenes of major obscenity trials and uncovers the routines of everyday censorship, shedding new light on the British reception of literary modernism, popular entertainments such as cinema, American-style pulp fiction, and comic books. He reveals the thinking of lawyers, police officers, authors, publishers, politicians, and ordinary citizens as they grappled with questions of freedom and morality in the context of censorship.

The book also explores how supporters and opponents of censorship alike tried to remake the law as they reckoned with changes in sexuality and culture that began in the 1960s. The trial of Lady Chatterley's Lover, for example, sparked a debate about the role of the state in regulating morality and the boundaries of artistic expression.

Overall, "The History of British Censorship" is an incisive and multifaceted book that provides a comprehensive account of the history of censorship in modern Britain. It challenges readers to consider the complex issues surrounding freedom of speech, censorship, and the role of the state in shaping society.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691226101