Warburg Work in Progress, Autumn 2024 - Talking about Books in Early Modern Europe

Noah Millstone (Frances Yates Fellow): 'Talking about Books in Early Modern Europe'

The invention of the printing press helped create Europe's first book industry. Millions of books, from primers and pamphlets to works of theology and law, were produced across the continent. But against this abundance, Europe's complex religious, linguistic, and physical geography often made particular books hard to find. When interested readers managed to find the works they wanted, the books sometimes proved impossible to read: too long, too boring, in the wrong language. And even those who managed to read books often found them difficult to understand or assess. These pressures helped produce a lively trade in book news, book rumour, book extracts, and judgements about books. 'Book talk' filled the lives of scholars, collectors, diplomats, inquisitors and spies – many of whom never managed to set eyes on the books they were talking about. Such men and women speculated about the authorship of anonymous books; collected anecdotes; and repeated judgements of quality. The circulation of this material helped create knowledge about books - which were good and important, and which were total rubbish and should be avoided at all costs. By reframing the book as an object of knowledge and curiosity, this talk will suggest ways to rethink the place of books in early modern culture.

The Work in Progress seminar explores the variety of subjects studied and researched at the Warburg Institute. Papers are given by invited international scholars, research fellows studying at the Institute, and third-year PhD students.

ATTENDANCE FREE IN PERSON OR ONLINE WITH ADVANCE BOOKING