Commercial routes of Cretan publications, 1880-1910

The article examines the reception of Cretan publications in the bookstores of Greece and Turkey at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. After the Treaty of Chalepa (1878), the establishment of printers is allowed in Crete. However, after 1880, Turkish censorship intensifies, affecting the production and transportation of Cretan books. Eventually, the concession of autonomy in 1898 liberates printing production on the island. Around 1900, significant historical books referring to the recent Cretan risings against the Turks are published in Crete. These books are offered for sale in many bookstores in Athens, where national concern about Cretan news manifests itself in various ways. On the contrary, these Cretan books are not found in the major Greek bookstores of Constantinople and Smyrna, as Turkish censorship blocked their importation to Turkey.