“Every volume was a highlight: ” In conversation with Bernhard Kettemann Ulla Ratheiser, Werner Delanoy and Alexander Onysko It started with a typewriter. Founding editor Bernhard Kettemann remembers how he launched AAA: Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik in 1976, and what it means to him to have edited the journal for close to fifty years. Almost half a century after the first edition he has passed on the editorial torch to the next generation - and Bernhard Kettemann couldn’t be happier, as he explains in this interview with the new AAA editors, Alexander Onysko, Werner Delanoy and Ulla Ratheiser. AAA editors: How did AAA get started? What was the initial idea? Bernhard Kettemann: When I came to Graz in October 1975, as assistant professor for English linguistics at the English Department of the University of Graz, I noticed a certain frustration among my new colleagues about the lack of opportunities to publish their articles. At that time, they were more involved in publishing the research of the professors in the department. Fifty years ago, nobody saw an urgent need for assistants to present their research to a wider public. How this has changed! While ‘publish or perish’ wasn’t a thing yet, I knew that I needed to provide a forum for young, original thought. I suggested therefore that we create our own journal, and two years later my colleagues at the department, Walter Bernhart, Peter Bierbaumer, Annemarie Karpf and Wolfgang Zach as well as Walter Hölbling from the Department of American Studies, joined in as co-editors. Later on, the AAA-team was completed by Alwin Fill, Walter Grünzweig from the University of Dortmund, Allan James from the University of Klagenfurt, Andreas Mahler from FU Berlin, Christian Mair from the University of Freiburg and Werner Wolf. AAA editors: So, it also was a team effort. What were the first steps in setting up the journal? Bernhard Kettemann: Our librarian, Karl Ofer, came up with the idea to contact the main University Library of Graz and ask them for technical support. This help was very welcome and so, in the spring of 1976, I started a call for papers among my colleagues, which led to the publication of the first volume of AAA in the autumn of 1976. Of course, what I got were type-written manuscripts from the authors, which I then edited, had the Werner Delanoy, Ulla Ratheiser and Alexander Onykso 10 authors do their final corrections before I passed the articles on to the printing office at the library. Several days later I had the first 100 copies of Volume 1 of AAA in my hands. Volumes 2 and 3 were published in the same way in 1977 and 1978. I soon realized that we needed to professionalize and internationalize the journal. I started looking for a publishing house and was delighted to get in touch with a young publisher, Gunter Narr in Tübingen, Germany. After several meetings and talks with him, in the autumn of 1978 he welcomed AAA in his publishing house, Gunter Narr Verlag. AAA editors: This all sounds like a smooth process. Have you also encountered any challenges? Bernhard Kettemann: Indeed, there were several issues, but none that I wasn’t able to overcome. As always, money was a big issue. While there wasn’t quite enough around, we did enjoy support from the English as well as the American Studies Department of the University of Graz. Soon some support came from the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research, later on also from the university and from private sponsors, and personally, I also considered “my” journal as my hobbyhorse. Additionally, in due course we also were able to attract more and more subscribers. Another challenge has been to fill each volume with high-quality papers, which would equally cover the whole field of English and American studies, literature, linguistics, cultural studies and language teaching. This was not always easy. And, as with all kinds of activities in this field, sometimes it’s been difficult to convince authors to stick to stylesheets and deadlines. AAA editors: Despite these challenges the journal has been thriving. What were your highlights of the past 47 years with AAA? Bernhard Kettemann: Every single volume that I have held in my hands, that I could leaf through, that I could read, feel in my hands and also smell, was a highlight, each one a pleasure in itself. A special highlight was the official presentation of Volume 40 of AAA in November 2015 at the University of Graz, with the publisher, the vicerector of the university, the dean of the faculty, several professors and my colleagues and family present. It was also a great moment, when in 1988 we founded an accompanying book series to AAA, which by now has published 26 volumes. And finally, I am thankful and thrilled that, after quite some time of search, I have found a new team of editors that is willing to take over AAA, thus ensuring the continuation of the journal. I couldn’t be happier to pass on the torch to this new generation of anglicists. In conversation with Bernhard Kettemann 11 AAA editors: And we will do our best to follow in your footsteps. What did you like best about being the editor of AAA? Bernhard Kettemann: The best thing about being the editor of AAA was being actively involved in the creative process of moving our field of research forward, thus navigating at the cutting edge of academic development. It meant getting to know so many different and interesting personalities in many parts of the world. And for me personally, editing AAA meant a huge increase in insights into many aspects of all our fields of research. AAA editors: Would you do anything differently in hindsight? Bernhard Kettemann: I used to be very bad at delegating and carried too much of the burden and responsibility of editing an international journal myself. I am very grateful for all the work done by my co-editors, colleagues from the University of Graz and academic friends. In my next journal, though, I would involve them even more in the day-to-day running of the business. A more collaborative approach would have made a couple of things easier. Publishing is such a social endeavor - it takes a village, to paraphrase, to publish a journal. Or at least a broader academic community. I therefore feel it’s a good decision that from now on AAA will be edited by a team of three, with the continuous support of their co-editors. AAA editors: Agreed - working in a team, also to reflect the different disciplines in our field, is definitely an advantage. What has changed most significantly with AAA over the past forty years? Bernhard Kettemann: The most important change clearly is technology. There is no comparison at all to my “library approach” of 1976. By going digital we are deepening our global impact and many more people know of AAA and read and cite its articles. Who knows, perhaps in the future editors will be even more creative in promoting the journal and its research. Why not tweet about it, post it on TikTok or cooperate with science influencers? AAA editors: What do you envisage for the future of the journal? Bernhard Kettemann: The future for AAA looks promising and bright. I am excited to watch the new developments and I wish all the best to Werner Delanoy, Alexander Onysko and Ulla Ratheiser upon embarking on their AAA journey! Ad multos annos!