Before Anne Frank’s diary became one of the world’s most widely read books, it was a private manuscript. The book that millions of readers know as The Diary of a Young Girl has a complicated history of writing, rewriting, and editing by several hands. Since its first publication in the original Dutch in 1947, it has appeared in dozens of translations and hundreds of editions. Each edition presents the diary anew, with different introductions, explanatory material, and cover art. At the same time, Anne Frank’s original diary, in its plaid notebook, has become a treasured icon, commemorated in museum exhibitions, films, even architecture. In this presentation, Professor Jeffrey Shandler explores the many transformations of the diary and sheds light on how Anne Frank’s life and work have become fixtures of public culture throughout the world. This lecture was given on November 14, 2021.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons
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