Resources on Antonio Gramsci
The writings of Italian Marxist and dissident Antionio Gramsci (1891-1937) have had an enormous impact on intellectuals who are concerned with political and cultural analysis. Gramsci is most known for his creation of the concept of “hegemony,” which describes how the modern State maintains control of capitalist society. In the 1920s, Gramsci helped found and lead the communist party of Italy. As a result of his affiliation with the communists, Mussolini’s fascist government threw Gramsci in jail in 1926 during a suspension of law due to a state of emergency. While incarcerated, he wrote his most famous work, "The Prison Notebooks," a historical analysis of Italian nationalism.
Bibliographic Information, Life History, & the Significance of Gramsci's Writing
- Encyclopedia of Informal Information: Here is a thorough biography of Gramsci, giving context for his most important intellectual contributions and explaining how they impacted thinkers in his time and beyond. There is a section on Gramsci's most vital concept, the "organic intellectual."
- FreeRepublic: This politically motivated site provides an exegesis of Gramsci's ideas, in chronological order as they emerged throughout his lifetime. There is also a useful section on the Frankfurt School Marxists.
- International Gramsci Society: This is the official website of the International Gramsci Society. The site offers a biography and chronology of Antonio Gramsci's life, an archive of photographs, documents, and online articles related to his life and work, as well as links to his writings. Additionally there are scholarly articles on Gramsci’s intellectual legacy.
- Theory.org: This site is a complete resource for Gramsci’s life and bibliography. It includes articles that analyze his influence on communications studies, as well as the role of intellectuals in society, and educational theory.
- Workers’ Liberty: This labor organizing site outlines Gramsci’s life and thoughts. Their historical narrative is focused on the labor situation in Italy at the time of Gramsci’s leadership in the Italian communist party.
Samples of Gramsci's Work & Publications
- Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Selections from The Prison Notebooks can be found here. This site is maintained by a university student.
- Marxists.org: The webpage on Gramsci at this site holds links to many of his most important works. At the bottom of the page, there are also recommendations for published collections of his writing.
- Resources on Antonio Gramsci: Faculty at the City University of New York maintains a webpage dedicated to Gramsci. There are links to his work here, including a searchable version of the complete "Bibliografia gramsciana," a complete list of Gramsci's written works, and the first eight issues put out by the International Gramsci Society.
- Sid-Hill.com: This page hosts links to Gramsci’s work, as well as publications focusing on his legacy. They focus on Gramsci’s work on the concept of “hegemony.”
- Victory is Certain: Here you can find links to Gramsci’s writing, including articles on Gramsci and his ideas, in English, French, and Italian. There are links to Gramsci’s work on Amazon.com, and there are also links to right-wing and religious interpretations of his work.
Interpretations & Opinions of His Works
- Gramsci e o Brasil: This a virtual library of Gramsci's works, including a biography of Gramsci and academic essays about Latin American politics. The site is in Portuguese. It provides a Gramscian perspective on Brazilian culture, politics, and society.
- International Socialism Journal: Here is a special issue of the prominent, peer-reviewed academic journal focused on Gramsci’s legacies in contemporary socialist thought. There are articles analyzing his main ideas, and with detailed outlines of his early life.
- New Left Project: This radical thinking site applies Gramscian analysis to the study of American Fordism. The author interprets the emergence of the factory economy in terms of the rise of State hegemony.
- The International Gramsci Journal: The University of Wollongong publishes an academic journal with peer-reviewed articles containing contemporary analysis of his intellectual work. They accept submissions in English, Spanish, and Italian.
- War of Position: This blog is written by a Gramsci follower. He writes about current research and activist movements influenced by Gramsci’s ideas.