From broadside ballads and Lilliputian folios to printed engravings and manuals, from newspapers and pamphlets to abridgements and anthologies, a vast variety of print circulated in eighteenth-century Britain and its colonies. How did authors, printers, engravers or booksellers experiment with new forms of publication and with what results? To what extent did regulations related to copyright, taxation, or postal distribution affect the choices of authors and publishers? How did changes in printing format (octavo, duodecimo, etc.) alter the experiences of readers and reveal the modifications of the book trade?

Papers may examine a specific text or image as it appeared across different formats, or consider a particular category (the monthly magazine, the advertisement, the abridged novel, etc.) in relation to its material form(s). Whether focusing on the evolution of techniques and materials or the changing habits of readers, authors are especially encouraged to include analysis of works held by one of the host libraries– The Bodleian Library, Jesus College Fellows’ Library, and Oriel College Senior Library. Copies of relevant works will be displayed during the conference.

Please supply a 300-word proposal and a one-page C.V. by 15 January 2014 to: formsandformats2014@gmail.com

More information

 

Comments are closed.