History of the Book – (M.A.)

The MA in the History of the Book provides an unrivalled base for the study of a subject that has been the focus of increasing scholarly attention over the past 25 years. Originally considering mainly physical aspects of the book and the details of its manufacture and trade, scholars have come to see the study of the book as an aid to understanding literary texts and as a focus for insight into social, cultural and intellectual processes in history. This interdisciplinary programme aims to provide a stimulating range of courses in this new but rapidly growing subject, encompassing the history of literate western culture and focusing not only on books, but also newspapers, magazines, chapbooks, and broadsides. This course will also consider the manuscript of the period before print and enable students to ask what form the book takes in different periods, and how that form develops over time. As a man-made object, the course will further investigate the processes by which it is made. By considering conditions of manufacture, students are lead not only into discussion of the book as physical object, but also the social, economic and cultural relations entailed in a book's production.

The opportunities provided for the study of the History of the Book in London under the aegis of the School of Advanced Study and with the participation of so many of London's major institutions are without parallel. By bringing together the expertise which exists in the University of London and the staff of The British Library, the British Museum, The Public Record Office, Lambeth Palace Library, St Bride Printing Library, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the University of Reading and Stationers' Hall, students will enjoy benefits difficult to achieve anywhere else.