English-Language Books Censored during Wartime in <i>Estado Novo</i> Portugal

Abstract

Abstract. In contrast to press censorship, books published in Estado Novo Portugal were not subject to a priori censorship, but rather post-publication censorship. Additionally, imported books along with other publications were rigorously examined by custom officials, and private mailing of certain individuals was also monitored by post office clerks. Theoretically, no foreign book could easily enter the country without official inspection. Based on the censorship reports, it seems, however, that the degree of censorship was often fluctuating and uneven. The varying rigor, for the most part, can be put down to historical and political factors such as wars and other domestic conflicts, but there were indeed other types of inconsistencies. Through an exhaustive analysis of selected case studies, the paper also provides detailed insights into the mechanisms of censorship that operated in Salazar-Caetano regime Portugal.