Event Summary

In the second session of the International History and Politics Brunches, Visiting Research Fellow Esmaeil Haddadian-Moghaddam analysed the Franklin Book Programs in Egypt and Iran throughout the 1950s-1970s as a window to understanding the U.S. “book diplomacy” in the Cold War. Founded in 1952 as a non-profit corporation, Franklin Publications, inc. supported the translation and publication of North-American books in the Arab World.

Transcending the field of history into translation studies, Haddadian-Moghaddam used an interdisciplinary approach to understand why books, among all media available at that time, such as audio and video material, became an important instrument of US cultural diplomacy. He explained that the U.S. Psychological Strategy Board believed that books were the most important instrument to influence attitudes outside North America. As so, Franklin Book Programs’ primal objective was based on liberal ideals, such as promoting and stimulating the interest in freedom, dignity and welfare.

By analyzing the reach and salience of Franklin Book Programs in Egypt and Iran, Esmaeil Haddadian-Moghaddam’s research makes a novel contribution to our understanding of the Cultural Cold War, a growing field within Cold War studies.