Publishing in the contact zone: linguistic properties of the book publishing field in Montreal

In this thesis I explore an understudied area of communications--the practice of book publishing. Through an in-depth look at the Montreal book publishing field, I examine the relation between publishing and language arguing that language represents a system of power and social relations and that as such, it is one of the major structuring forces of the field of book production, defining possibilities or constraints for agents active in the field. Focusing my analysis on Montreal's peculiar geographic location as a "contact zone" of French and English languages, I explore how the interplay between the two tongues has contributed to shaping and defining the book publishing field in the city. I argue that this process of structuration through language takes place on three levels: first, on a political level, through the formation of the power dynamics and the set of rules that orient the functioning of the field and affect the positioning of Montreal publishers in it; second, on an economic level, through the expansion of markets abroad based on publishing strategies, among which translation is one of the most viable methods for market extension as well as inter-cultural communication; and third, on a cultural level, through the possibility of inter-cultural contact specifically between anglophone and francophone publishers in the city. My focus throughout this thesis is mainly on small literary presses and I use the findings from the interviews that I conducted with six publishers working on both sides of the linguistic divide in Montreal in order to provide a more thorough and engaging study.