Imperium in Imperio
Will be published approx. on 17. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
260 pages
978-1-64453-373-4 (ISBN)
Description
Sutton E. Griggs's first novel, originally published in 1899, paints a searing picture of the violent enforcement of disfranchisement and Jim Crow racial segregation. Based on events of the time, including US imperial policies, revolutionary movements, and racial protests, Imperium in Imperio introduces the fictional Belton Piedmont and Bernard Belgrave as "future leaders of their race" and uses these characters to make sense of the violence that marked the dawn of the twentieth century. Taking on contemporary battles over separatism and integration, Griggs's novel continues to play a crucial role in understandings of Black politics.
Edited and introduced by Tess Chakkalakal and Kenneth W. Warren, this new critical edition offers not only an incisive biographical and historical introduction to the novel and its author but also a wealth of references that make the events and characters of Griggs's Imperium in Imperio, and its aftermath, accessible to readers today.
Edited and introduced by Tess Chakkalakal and Kenneth W. Warren, this new critical edition offers not only an incisive biographical and historical introduction to the novel and its author but also a wealth of references that make the events and characters of Griggs's Imperium in Imperio, and its aftermath, accessible to readers today.
Reviews / Votes
"An excellent edition that will make this important work more accessible to scholars and students alike." - Benjamin Fagan, author of The Black Newspaper and the Chosen Nation (2016)More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
9 B-W images
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
367 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64453-373-4 (9781644533734)
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
Persons
Sutton E. Griggs (July 19, 1872-January 2, 1933) was an African American author, Baptist minister, and social activist who championed the cause of racial equality in his life and his writings.
Tess Chakkalakal is associate professor of Africana studies and English at Bowdoin College and the author of Novel Bondage: Slavery, Marriage, and Freedom in Nineteenth-Century America.
Kenneth W. Warren is Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor in English at the University of Chicago and the author of What Was African American Literature?
Tess Chakkalakal is associate professor of Africana studies and English at Bowdoin College and the author of Novel Bondage: Slavery, Marriage, and Freedom in Nineteenth-Century America.
Kenneth W. Warren is Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor in English at the University of Chicago and the author of What Was African American Literature?
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chronology: Life and Times of Sutton E. Griggs
Textual Note
Imperium in Imperio
Annotations
Emendations
Appendix A: The Lynching of Postmaster Frazier B. Baker
Appendix B: The Story of My Struggles (1914) by Sutton E. Griggs
Appendix C: Griggs and the Richmond Planet
Appendix D: Signed First Edition
Appendix E: The Virginian Pilot
Appendix F: Promotional Materials and Contemporary Review of Imperium in Imperio
Appendix G: Speeches
Selected Bibliography
Introduction
Chronology: Life and Times of Sutton E. Griggs
Textual Note
Imperium in Imperio
Annotations
Emendations
Appendix A: The Lynching of Postmaster Frazier B. Baker
Appendix B: The Story of My Struggles (1914) by Sutton E. Griggs
Appendix C: Griggs and the Richmond Planet
Appendix D: Signed First Edition
Appendix E: The Virginian Pilot
Appendix F: Promotional Materials and Contemporary Review of Imperium in Imperio
Appendix G: Speeches
Selected Bibliography