Searching for Vilakazi
Publishing and the Colonial Archive
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11416657 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Veronica Klipp (0000-0002-7736-1598, University of the Witwatersrand, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-12 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-18 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Arts (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0256-0046 • E-ISSN: 1992-6049 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02560046.2025.2534040 |
| OpenAlex | W7138906104 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
This article explores the archive of Wits University Press through a decolonial lens using the celebrated black author, Benedict Wallett Vilakazi, as example and narrative thread. Against the background of neglect of publishers’ archives, not only in South Africa, it makes a case for the preservation of institutional and corporate archives. As sites of contested knowledge, they have historical and literary value. They are also an important resource for publishers when digitising the backlist, especially of titles by marginalised authors, in order to address any inequality that may have marked the author-publisher relationship. Along with an interrogation of institutional histories, the publisher’s archive can shed knowledge on the history of publishing in South Africa, especially of writing in African languages.
Colonialism · Exhibition · Publishing · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |