The archive of cultural, social and political periodicals developed across the Global South and the West during the period(s) of decolonization remains largely inaccessible to the public. Simultaneously, the perspectives developed and disseminated through such collective, local and regional scenes have been systematically discarded and suppressed in the formation of canonical knowledge and the inauguration of canonical thinkers, especially within Western universities. While some periodicals are sequestered in university libraries, others have been censored, lost or destroyed.

The Revolutionary Papers site aims to offer a gateway into this extensive network of periodical-based knowledge, culture and social movement history across local, national and international spheres. Studying these journals moves us closer to a knowledge of locally-based anti-colonial thought produced by groups of organizers, intellectuals and cultural producers across various cities, regions and countries. Such thought emerges alongside a knowledge of how such theories and practices interacted and shaped each other across local and international spheres.

By focusing on how to “teach” anti-colonial periodicals, the site hopes to make such knowledge more accessible to researchers, teachers, students, interested readers and social movement participants. At the same time, we aim to provide new methods and pedagogies that will encourage instructors to teach these journals and the cultures and ideas associated with them. We aim to develop the site into a small teaching library that highlights methods of research to bring out relevant insights about periodicals.

The RP website hosts three different models for teaching tools. Each model deploys a distinct approach to emphasize different aspects of periodicals and their contexts, and reflect a variety of pedagogies and educational aims:

Linear Model

The linear model allows the author(s) to frame the historical trajectory and wider context of a revolutionary periodical, and also to explore a broad argument.  It can function like a digital essay or an encyclopedic entry with multiple interchangeable parts and digitally integrated references.

Our current example of this model can be found here.

Close Reading Model

The close reading model allows the author(s) to comment on, elaborate or map specific concepts, images, tables of content or other critical passages in a periodical through annotations organised around a block of text.*

Our current example of this model can be found here.

Table Model

The table model allows the author(s) to map connections between movements, political concepts, and the forms of revolutionary publishing. Various documents will appear on a digital table. These can be annotated and moved around to suggest relationships between people, documents, events etc.

Our current example of this model will be available soon.