International anthology with Maltese editors

The US publishing house Rowman & Littlefield has just published an anthology of essays edited by three Maltese scholars on the relevance of Antonio Gramsci's ideas to education.

The editors are Dr Carmel Borg and Prof. Peter Mayo, based at the University of Malta, and Prof. Joseph A. Buttigieg of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. They also provide chapters.

Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) is one of the major social and political theorists of the 20th century. His work has had an enormous influence on several fields including educational theory and practice.

Gramsci & Education is an anthology of essays that demonstrates the relevance of his thought to contemporary educational debates.

The essays are written by scholars located in different parts of the world, a number of whom are well known internationally for their contributions to Gramscian scholarship and/or educational research.

The collection deals with a broad range of areas, including schooling, adult education in general, popular education, workers' education, cultural studies, critical pedagogy, multicultural education and the role of intellectuals in contemporary society.

The book is published in Rowman & Littlefield's 'Culture and Politics' series edited by Prof. Henry Giroux, one of the leading authors in critical educational theory and cultural studies in the English language and himself a contributor to the volume.

Another leading North American writer on critical education theory, Prof. Michael W. Apple, of the University of Wisconsin, says the book is a "real achievement".

"It demonstrates why the work of Gramsci continues to be of crucial importance to any educator who is committed to social and cultural transformation."

A further endorsement is provided by Dr Glenn Rikowski, author of, among other things, The Battle in Seattle. Its Significance for Education. He writes:

"Borg, Buttigieg and Mayo's beautifully crafted collection shoots Antonio Gramsci to the heart of any project for transforming education and society. Gramsci and Education has leading international scholars writing on a spectacular range of issues deriving from Gramsci's educational outlook. Truly, it is a book for our times".

The volume has been produced in both hardcover and paperback versions and is available for sale on the major online bookstores.