
Poetry in the Provinces
Reclaiming Provincialism in Nineteenth-Century France
Valentina Gosetti(Author)
Liverpool University Press
Will be published approx. on 9. October 2026
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-80596-861-0 (ISBN)
Description
Poetry in the Provinces recovers neglected voices of prominent provincial poets, swept aside by the powerful centralizing forces that shaped nineteenth-century French culture. Backed by extensive archival research, this book shows how, despite being largely overlooked in French literary histories, these writers and their circles were often significant nodes in wider transprovincial and transnational networks of literary exchange. Poetry in the Provinces not only revalues these voices but also examines the reasons for their exclusion and its consequences for our understanding of nineteenth-century French culture.
Through case studies from different areas of France, Poetry in the Provinces shows how provincialism could emerge not as a limitation but as a source of pride, a reason for mutual support and solidarity, and an empowering way to resist Parisian cultural hegemony. The writing of these poets, whether in French or in their local language, challenges a monolithic, monolingual, Paris-centred notion of French literature and cultural identity, and undermines the very distinction between central and peripheral cultures.
Poetry in the Provinces promotes greater inclusivity. By reclaiming provincialism as an added value, this book illuminates overlooked viewpoints, questions the mechanisms that determine what counts as "great" literature, disputes hierarchies of taste, and expands our understanding of French literary history. By remapping the contribution of provincial poets - including women and worker-poets - within French and European poetic history, Poetry in the Provinces offers a richer, more diverse understanding of nineteenth-century literary culture and highlights how these poets helped shape a more multilingual, often less elitist, and more deliberately provincialised idea of "Frenchness".
Through case studies from different areas of France, Poetry in the Provinces shows how provincialism could emerge not as a limitation but as a source of pride, a reason for mutual support and solidarity, and an empowering way to resist Parisian cultural hegemony. The writing of these poets, whether in French or in their local language, challenges a monolithic, monolingual, Paris-centred notion of French literature and cultural identity, and undermines the very distinction between central and peripheral cultures.
Poetry in the Provinces promotes greater inclusivity. By reclaiming provincialism as an added value, this book illuminates overlooked viewpoints, questions the mechanisms that determine what counts as "great" literature, disputes hierarchies of taste, and expands our understanding of French literary history. By remapping the contribution of provincial poets - including women and worker-poets - within French and European poetic history, Poetry in the Provinces offers a richer, more diverse understanding of nineteenth-century literary culture and highlights how these poets helped shape a more multilingual, often less elitist, and more deliberately provincialised idea of "Frenchness".
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Liverpool
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
8 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 163 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-80596-861-0 (9781805968610)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Valentina Gosetti is a poetry translator and Associate Professor of French at the University of Trieste, Italy. As an Associate Professor at the University of New England, Australia, she has been the recipient of a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award from the Australian Research Council.
Content
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Poetry in the Provinces: Reclaiming Provincialism in Nineteenth-Century France
Chapter 1: Remapping Literary France: Provincializing French Poetic History via Poetry Anthologies
Chapter 2: Decentralisation: Provincial Cultural Awakening and the Academie Provinciale of Lyon
Chapter 3: Federalisme: Progressive Patriotism in Patois with the Felibres Rouges
Chapter 4: Transprovincial Networks and Transnational Contact Zones Across the Alps
A Conclusion Towards a New Beginning: The Provinces of Poetry Empowered. For a more Inclusive Nineteenth Century
Bibliography
Introduction: Poetry in the Provinces: Reclaiming Provincialism in Nineteenth-Century France
Chapter 1: Remapping Literary France: Provincializing French Poetic History via Poetry Anthologies
Chapter 2: Decentralisation: Provincial Cultural Awakening and the Academie Provinciale of Lyon
Chapter 3: Federalisme: Progressive Patriotism in Patois with the Felibres Rouges
Chapter 4: Transprovincial Networks and Transnational Contact Zones Across the Alps
A Conclusion Towards a New Beginning: The Provinces of Poetry Empowered. For a more Inclusive Nineteenth Century
Bibliography