Collaborative Writing in the Long Nineteenth Century: Sympathetic Partnerships and Artistic Creation

Heather Witcher's study explores the social aspects and reliance on Victorian liberalism of collaborative writing, challenging traditional expectations surrounding authorship. It highlights the coexistence of titles such as coauthor, influencer, editor, critic, and inspiration, celebrating the plurality of collaboration and underscoring the truly social nature of nineteenth-century writing.

Format: Hardback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 17 March 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Through a diverse range of examples, Heather Witcher vividly demonstrates that sympathetic co-creation extends far beyond the mere act of writing together. While highlighting the tangible elements of collaboration, such as hands joining on the page, designated space for fellow contributors, the process of writing and exchanging drafts, this study also sheds light on its social dimensions and its reliance on Victorian liberalism. Dialogue, the exchange of correspondence, the actual experience of collaboration, and, on a less material level, transhistorical collaborations with historical figures are all integral aspects of this collaborative process. Witcher adopts a broad perspective when exploring these partnerships, challenging traditional notions about the nature of authorship, particularly its conventional classification as a solitary endeavor. Within this innovative framework, collaboration allows for the coexistence of titles such as coauthor, influencer, editor, critic, and inspiration. This book serves as a celebration of collaboration's richness and emphasizes the inherently social nature of nineteenth-century writing.

Weight: 548g
Dimension: 160 x 235 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316513491