Libros en movimiento. Nueva España y Perú, siglos XVI-XVIII

Abstract:

The first two decades of the 21st century have been marked by a boom in the history of the book within the field of cultural history. In its most recent developments, this genre of historiography—traditionally focused on printers and libraries—has shifted its attention to the commercial activity that ensured books reached readers. It thus explores the existence of book-dealing dynasties, as well as the routes, practices, agreements, and commercial ventures behind the arrival of specific volumes and editions on the shelves that, in some cases, still house them today. With the collaboration of ten authors from different academic traditions, who have conducted research in Spanish, Mexican, and Peruvian archives, this text looks behind the scenes of the book trade to highlight the decisive role it played in the circulation of titles. Its approach encompasses, in a single perspective, the two most important viceroyalties in the Americas (New Spain and Peru) between the 16th and 18th centuries. In those lands and at that time, an interesting adventure was unfolding: the opening of a market for the book as an object and the building of a community of readers that connected with the world on the other side of the Atlantic through the printed word.