Michael Durrant

This online course considers what might constitute a feminist approach to studying books, what the benefits of such approaches are, and how to incorporate them into our own work. We will center the textual object in exploring these issues, letting artifacts drive our questions rather than the actions of book makers, sellers, or collectors. Another way of putting this is that the course won't ask who women printing books were, but rather, who determined the terms on which we engage with books. This doesn't mean ignoring the many agents involved in book work, including the people involved in the long history of book trades, the academic field of print culture and textual editing, and the intersection of these with library practices. But it means that our work this week will be focused on generating questions about methodology rather than recovering names and histories.

We will also wrestle with the theory and practice of feminism, which has a history of different meanings for different communities, and how to develop it as an inclusive practice for our book work. If living a feminist life is, as Sara Ahmed argues, something we must return to over and over, something that we put into practice daily rather than something that stays in the classroom, how do we bring that into our spaces of book work? Through a combination of short advance readings about bibliography and feminism, course discussions, and your own work with textual artifacts, we will explore what questions are brought to the forefront when we approach our work through a feminist framework. Participants should anticipate two concurrent and two asynchronous sessions each course day, with those sessions being scheduled to accommodate the range of US time zones; asychronous sessions could involve exercises, readings, and off-camera discussions.

Discussions and exercises will also try explore different models of pedagogy in order to give participants a feel for what methodologies might suit them best. The course is intended to be of use to anyone researching, teaching, or acting as a custodian for rare books; although we will pay careful attention to the first centuries of western printing, since the study of those books have shaped the field of bibliography as a whole, the issues the course will consider cover all periods of book study. Participants should not expect to come out of the course having mastered a feminist history of books, but to leave with a set of tools to ask feminist questions of books.

Come think about Feminist Bibliography with me this summer! I’m teaching a one-week online course for @calrbs.bsky.social—I love this class and am excited to do it again. Description below; priority deadline April 15; all details at www.calrbs.org/feminist-bib...

New in the Bloomsbury Studies in Digital Cultures series!

'New Directions in Digital Textual Studies' ➡️ https://bit.ly/3ZMhlAO

An engaging and wide-ranging look at how book history and digital humanities intersect, featuring scholars across the fields.

The Maggs Scholarship seeks to support an excellent student who wishes to study the MA in the History of the Book, but whose circumstances might make it difficult to access the programme. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4sv1Eeu

@ies-sas.bsky.social

Tonight’s Book Collecting Seminar @ies-sas.bsky.social ! #BookHistory

Fellowship Applications and Renewals Applications for the 2026/27 academic year are now open.

Applications for IES Fellowships in the 2026/27 academic year are now open!

You can apply for an ECR or Research fellowship, with terms from 6 months to 3 years.

The application deadline is 10 April.

ies.sas.ac.uk/fellowships/...

Manchester University Press - The dreadful name of Henry Hills The dreadful name of Henry Hills - Browse and buy the Hardcover edition of The dreadful name of Henry Hills by Michael Durrant

*Publishing March 2026*
The dreadful name of Henry Hills, The lives and afterlives of a C17th printer.

Michael Durrant @michaelwdurrant.bsky.social brings the forgotten printer Henry Hills vividly back to life, exploring how his reputation, notoriety, and his legacy has evolved over time.

Thank you Laura 😊

Meeting Henry Hills - a Roman Catholic printer - Manchester University Press ‘At the revolution, [Henry Hills] went abroad with his son, and I met with them at Watten, near St. Omer’s, on 13th Feb. 1689.’ This line appears in a letter on notable English Catholic printers publi...

I wrote a blog post for the @manchesterup.bsky.social website to introduce my forthcoming book. It’s out at the end of this month! manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2026/03...

Unlocking the Islamic Literary Heritage: An Intensive Practical Introduction to Arabic Manuscripts Some three million Islamic manuscripts are thought to survive in collections around the world. Most of them are unedited and unpublished. This course offers an in-depth, hands-on introduction to th…

For Arabic readers, London’s palaeography school has a course on Islamic literary heritage. In person, 8-12 June. Places are limited, so book now 👇 📚☀️
palaeography.uk/study/short-...

Introduction to Making Medieval Manuscripts (Practice Based) This course introduces students to the complicated and messy processes of production through which pre-modern manuscripts were created. It offers a mixture of talks and practical sessions that give…

The “messy” course returns to London’s palaeography summer school, 8-12 June. A chance to make your own medieval manuscript. Places are limited so book now (tell your friends)! #medievalsky taught by the amazing @saracharles.bsky.social @stevelawesarts.bsky.social 👇🎨🫟
palaeography.uk/study/short-...

Now open!

Our new exhibition The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond is now open!

Co-curated by Karen Attar (SHL) and @michaelwdurrant.bsky.social (IES, SAS) the display celebrates the 550th anniversary of William Caxton’s first printing press!

Last night’s UCL/IES Stevenson Lecture, ‘Richard Oswald’s Library: Slavery, Collecting, and the Invention of Rare Books’, was fantastic. Thanks to all who attended, and of course thank you to @oldfortunatus.bsky.social for putting on such a great talk!

😍

Part of the #UCL200 programme of activities and events celebrating UCL’s Bicentenary, the lecture tonight examines the economic and racialised foundations of bibliophile taste, and the consequences for rare book libraries 📚

Opening tomorrow! 🎉

Tonight! 6pm-8pm

The Book in the Renaissance This course offers a comprehensive overview of the printed book in the Renaissance.

For all the @warburginstitute.bsky.social fans out there, this summer the Renaissance Book returns to London Rare Books School #LRBS 📚📖👇
ies.sas.ac.uk/book-renaiss...

Posters are up! 🎉

Some pics from this week’s student visits to @stationerscomms.bsky.social Archives (ft. Dr Ruth Frendo) and the British Jesuit Archives (ft. @ies-sas.bsky.social LAHP CDA student Ted Simonds)

The Institute of English Studies performs a vital advocacy role, championing the study of English within the academy and beyond. As English Studies responds to the challenges and opportunities of the twenty first century, the IES is working to shape the conversation about its future: ies.sas.ac.uk/

Thank you! ☺️

A huge congratulations to our wonderful graduating cohort! 🎉

@sas-news.bsky.social

I’m told that the book has been sent to print and that it’ll be out on 31 March 😭

It was great to get to talk about print culture at the National Gallery’s ‘At the time of Wright of Derby’ salon series, which coincides with the Wright exhibition. 3 more exhibition member talks coming up: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/at-th...

Coming soonish…

Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800) at British Library Explore an exciting academic career as a Lead Curator: Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601 – 1800). Don't miss out on other academic jobs. Click to apply and explore more opportunities.

JOB ALERT: Lead Curator, Modern Archives & Manuscripts (1601-1800) at The British Library - closing date: 18th Feb

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH179/l...

Introduction to Handwriting in England c. 700-1700 Introduction to Handwriting in England c. 700-1700

Want something to look forward to in these dark days? Booking is open for the London International Palaeography Summer School in June. We have a range of in-person, 5 day courses, including Introduction to Handwriting in England c.700-1700 👇 #MedievalSky

ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...

In case you missed it, here is a set of academic book proposals that I wrote and that succeeded. I do not claim them as exemplars of the genre, but offer them for any interested parties to see what form they took.