Refugees and Cultural Transfer to Britain [Paperback]

This book is the first to focus specifically upon the relationship between refugees and intercultural transfer over an extensive period of time. Since circa 1830, a series of groups have made their way to Britain, beginning with exiles from the failed European revolutions of the mid-nineteenth century and ending with refugees who have increasingly come from beyond Europe. The book addresses four specific questions. First, what roles have individuals or groups of refugees played in cultural and political transfers to Britain since 1830? Second, can we identify a novel form of cultural production which differs from that in the homeland? Third, to what extent has dissemination within and transformation of the receiving culture occurred? Fourth, to what extent do refugee groups, themselves, undergo a process of cultural restructuring? The coverage of the individual essays ranges from high culture, through politics and everyday practices. The volume moves away from general perceptions of refugees as problem groups and rather focuses on the way they have shaped, and indeed enriched, British cultural and political life.

This book was previously published as a special issue of Immigrants and Minorities.

Preface  Part I: Introduction  1. Refugees and Cultural Transfer to Britain: An Introduction Stefan Manzand Panikos Panayi  Part II: Transfer of High Culture  2. Joseph Mainzer (1801-1851) and the Popularisation of Choral Singing in Britain Stefan Manz  3. Open Windows: Jewish Refugee Artists in Scotland during the Twentieth Century Ben Braber  4. Refugees from Nazism and Cultural Transfer to Britain Peter Alter  5. From Asylum-Seeker to British Artist: How Refugee Artists are Redefining British Art Alex Rotas  Part III: Political Transfer&nl3!