The ‘posthumous Bauman:’ a review essay

The year 2023 saw six new books by, and about, Zygmunt Bauman published. Six years after his death, these texts were part of an emerging body of literature we may call the ‘posthumous Bauman.’ I explore the key lessons this literature has offered and suggest there are four key themes: our increased knowledge about Bauman's life and its link, or not, to his sociology; the role of the hinterland for the sociologist; the increased interest in Bauman's lifelong sociological project before he came to the University of Leeds; and the differing receptions of Bauman's work. The continued value of Bauman's sociological project expressed in these themes reflects his rich and diverse sociological project, but also the commitment and achievements of a committed body of interpreters. This new era of the ‘posthumous Bauman’ promises exciting new insights and sources of dialogue.