Two Books of Situationist Theory

covers of the first editions

Short text on arrangements for the publication of Revolution of Everyday Life and Society of the Spectacle. From Internationale Situationniste #11 (October 1967).

Submitted by Fozzie on April 7, 2023

Responding to a letter from Editions Gallimard, which was published in I.S. #10 (page 84 1 ), wrote simply that his "projects," as well as the "climate" in which he had written his Revolution of Everyday Life, were best expressed in the journal Internationale Situationniste. The publishers promptly returned the manuscript, restating, as a motif of definitive condemnation, the two reservations they had already made known: the "repetitions," and the "artificial" division into two parts. A few weeks went by, then Editions Gallimard, for reasons that remain obscure to us, did a complete about-face: they asked for the same manuscript again, and offered Vaneigem a contract to sign straight away. A year has now passed since this contract was signed, and the still the book has not appeared; it will not be released until the beginning of 1968. This administrative red tape is an inexpensive way of holding off the accelerating development of these new issues in ever-widening circles.

In light of this experience, Guy Debord, who did not finish writing The Society of the Spectacle until much later, began by proposing his book to Editions Buchet-Chastel, a publisher far more familiar with the material, who will release the book as soon as possible, in November.

Translated by Reuben Keehan. From https://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/books.html

Comments