Transatlantic Radio Dramas: Antonio Callado and the BBC Latin American Service During World War II

The BBC Latin American Service was created in 1938 to counter fascist propaganda. Brazilian writer Antônio Callado (1917–1997) wrote radio drama scripts for the BBC LAS during and after World War II, which were propaganda in their own right. Transatlantic Radio Dramas examines the scripts, institutions, material practices, and beliefs that allowed modernist transatlantic networks like the BBC LAS to flourish.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 28 November 2023
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press

The BBC Latin American Service, established in 1938 with funding from the British Ministry of Information, emerged as a response to the spread of fascist propaganda in Latin America. Renowned Brazilian writer Antônio Callado, hailed as one of the foremost Latin American novelists of the 20th century, began his literary journey by crafting radio drama scripts for the BBC LAS during and after World War II. These scripts, largely overlooked until their collection in a 2018 volume published in Brazil by Daniel Mandur Thomaz, served as a form of propaganda in their own right. They were part of a concerted effort to garner sympathy for Britain and the Allies in Latin America. Through their analysis, Transatlantic Radio Dramas sheds light on how Callado's wartime experiences shaped his writing and profoundly impacted the themes he would consistently revisit throughout his literary career. Moreover, the book delves into the institutions, material practices, and beliefs that fostered the flourishing of modernist transatlantic networks like the BBC LAS, highlighting their significant role in shaping cultural and political landscapes across the Atlantic.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780822947882