Migration, Freedom of Expression, and the Importance of Diasporic Literary Archives

Abstract

Diasporic archives reflect the nature of the world we live in and may reflect the diasporic lives of many modern authors. Alison Donnell and other contributors to the Diasporic Literary Archives Network have used Caribbean examples in particular to illustrate both the convergences and the divergences of diasporic lives and diasporic archives. Global migration is a constant, and may be driven by economic, security, or personal needs. Whether by chance or design, people find themselves building a new life far from home. Writers are particularly prone to migrating from their home countries— some for better economic prospects, such as Derek Walcott for example, others for political or security reasons including war and repressive regimes. Writers who choose to criticize the government ruling their native lands, whether openly or through fictional means, often find themselves the subject of harassment, detainment, and even torture or death. A writer such as Salman Rushdie represents an extreme example of this. The fact that his archive ended up in the United States rather than his home country of India reflects his desire for his life and work to be housed safely and securely while still providing open access to researchers. In some cases, an author's papers can be split between countries and institutions, reflecting either their personal journeys or other collecting considerations. Sometimes earlier papers are housed in the country of origin while the later papers are housed in the country of the author's current occupancy. This is true of the Derek Walcott papers and many others across the world. Thus the need for cooperation between international colleagues and institutions to provide the best access possible to the total archive of such authors while sharing resources and ideas to make the papers as accessible as possible. The virtual reconnection of split fonds through digitization is an example of this. The intent of all this effort is to create pathways to allow for an open field of enquiry for researchers. The fatwa placed on Salman Rushdie by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 ordered Muslims to kill Rushdie for statements perceived as blasphemous within The Satanic Verses .

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