About the Centre for Manuscript and Print Studies

In 2001, the Centre for Manuscript and Print Studies was established as a result of the merger of the School of Advanced Study's former Centre for Palaeography and the Research Centre in the History of the Book. The Centre is hosted by the Institute of English Studies and was initially formed as a partnership with the British Library, St Bride Printing Library, the University of London Research Library Services, the English Department at the University of Birmingham, the School of English at the University of Reading, and the Literature Department at the Open University. We are pleased to announce that the Shakespeare Institute and the Centre for Textual Studies (De Montfort University) have recently joined this partnership. Please visit the Centre's listing of partners for links to each partner institution.

The Centre's areas of interest include: Manuscript Studies, Palaeography, Codicology, Diplomatic and Calligraphy; History of Printing; Manuscript and Print Relations; History of Publishing and the Book Trade; Ephemera Studies; History of Reading; History of Libraries, Collecting and Scholarship; Analytical, Descriptive, and Historical Bibliography; Textual Criticism and Textual Theory; and The Electronic Book

The Centre's Work

The Centre aims to develop individual and collective research projects on national and international subjects within Manuscript and Print Studies, and to co-ordinate projects into broader and sustained research programmes. The Centre works to create networks between Higher Education Institutions, libraries and museums that help identify, secure and catalogue the primary research materials of the subject area. It administers an active conference and seminar programme reflecting both the Centre's and affiliated scholars' research agenda and interests, and current topical issues. It is developing scholarly training programmes for research students in the form of the National Research Training Scheme in English Language and Literature, Palaeography and the History of the Book.

The Centre benefits from the Institute of English Studies' Visiting Fellowship programme, which encourages the affiliation of scholars from non-member institutions, from both within the UK and the rest of the world. While contributing to the infrastructure and research needs of an interdisciplinary academic community, the Centre also aims to make its work available to the general public, through the provision of public lectures and seminars, short courses, summer schools and distance learning courses, exhibitions, events and broadcast programmes.

The Centre's Management Committee

Chairman, Management Committee:

Mr Tim Rix, CBE, FRSA

Director:

Professor Warwick Gould, FRSL, FRSA, FEA (Institute of English Studies)

Deputy Director:

Professor Simon Eliot, FRHS (Chair in the History of the Book, Institute of English Studies)

Associate Director:

Professor David Ganz, FSA, FRHS (King's College, London)

Institutional Representatives: