The Irish Literary Periodical 1923-58

Frank Shovlin presents a unique examination of Irish literature through the middle decades of the twentieth century by considering the role of literary magazines in the development of a range of writers from AE (George William Russell), to John Hewitt. He draws on a wealth of new material and argues for the importance of these in keeping Irish cultural life vibrant in these neglected years.

Frank Shovlin examines in detail six Irish literary periodicals that appeared in the first forty years after the partitioning on Ireland. The six titles are The Irish Statesman (1923-30), The Dublin Magazine (1923-58), Ireland To-Day (1936-38), The Bell (1940-54), Envoy (1949-51) and Rann (1948-53). These journals, while not the only examples of the genre in these neglected decades of Irish cultural history, make the finest and most influential contributions towards the development of a native Irish literary tradition in the earliest years of both Irish states, north and south of the border. The manner in which each of the journals was established and run is considered, with an emphasis on varying editorial personalities and their impact on each periodical. Shovlin emphasizes the common themes of literary realism, the ideological struggle between monolithic nationalism and liberal cosmopolitanism, and the importance of publishing context in the interpretation of literary works. The careers of figures such as Patrick Kavanagh, Seán O Faoláin, Liam O Flaherty and John Hewitt are re-examined in the light of their involvement with periodical publication. The author concludes with an overview of the progress of the literary periodical in Ireland in the decades after the closure of The Dublin Magazine in 1958. This book is an important contribution to recent growing scholarship on the role of literary magazines specifically and history of the book generally both in Ireland and elsewhere.