Do writers live in a global ‘republic of letters’? Are there any limits to what writers can say? These questions on artistic freedom and the duty of artists have been around ever since Plato banned the poets from his ideal republic. In recent years, speech has become increasingly contested, with flashpoints like the Prophet Muhammad cartoons, Charlie Hebdo, or hate speech on Facebook.
This research project steps back to the post-World War II period to understand how writers and intellectuals were subjected to a series of legal and governmental controls over their beliefs and writings. By examining court cases and intelligence investigations in six national contexts (France, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Romania, and the United States), I detail how writing and authorship became fiercely contested after the war. The trials also served a symbolic function by educate the wider public about the duties of intellectuals in the new order.
This research project shows the importance of authorship in literary studies (despite claims of the “death of the author”) and that a writer’s intent cannot be overlooked. The project also shows the centrality of the nation-state in literary production, as state laws and state agencies controlled the limits of free expression. State control over literary production remains a continuing issue in the current world, so by understanding prior attempts to criminalize writing we can better understand how to work with speech in our own time.