Captivity and Creativity by Donato Somma

Captivity and Creativity by Donato Somma

A groundbreaking volume that represents the first examination of cultural production amongst Italian prisoners of war

Captivity and Creativity explores the artistic and material production by Italian prisoners of war (POWs) and some civilian internees who were captured by the Western Allies in 1940–43 and detained in prison camps scattered across Africa, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States during World War II. Twelve chapters discuss from different theoretical and histori­cal angles the various artistic activities (e.g., theatre, music, visual arts, architecture, chapels, and material objects), technical contributions (e.g., maps, photography, radio), writings (e.g., memoirs, diaries, letters, and fiction), as well as the documentary evidence that resulted from the diverse experiences and transnational exchanges between the prisoners and their captors as military personnel and local civilian populations in different parts of the globe between 1940 and 1947.

The book describes the prisoners’ economic importance for the Western Allied powers in their war effort to fight Nazi-Fascism and the enforced diaspora through which POWs were moved across different allied countries. It analyzes the prisoners’ daily camp life, work, and treatment before and after the 1943 Armistice, when POWs were asked to sign an agreement to renounce Fascism and become cooperators of war, underlining the different treatment reserved for coop­erators of war and noncooperators of war. The book also investigates the legacy of the prisoners’ artistic and material production, the cultural heritage and the practices of memorialization (e.g., photography, monuments, museums, anniversary celebrations, exhibits) that have derived from the Italian presence in camps in different countries up to this date, through reference to groups and communities that preserve that heritage.

Giorgia Alù (Edited By)
Giorgia Alù is Chair of Italian Studies at the University of Sydney. She is the author of Journeys Exposed: Women’s Writing, Mobility, and Photography and co-editor of Enlightening Encounters: Italian Literature and Photography.

Elena Bellina (Edited By)
Elena Bellina is Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor in Italian Studies at New York University. Her research and publications focus on war and captivity studies, cultural memory, autobiographical writing, and the performing arts.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781531513597
Title	Captivity and Creativity
Author	Donato Somma
Series	World War Ii: The Global Human And Ethical Dimension
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Fordham University Press
Year published	2026-07-07
Number of pages	432
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.