Book History
When buying a book meant buying the sheets before the binding
Early printed books could reach buyers unbound or in temporary covers. Learn what that changes about reading a historical book’s physical evidence.
BOOKS & THE LIFE AROUND THEM
Keep the conversation going after the last page.
Reading notes, thoughtful book discussions and practical ways to care for the collection you live with.
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Between the covers
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Book History
Chain lines in laid paper leave clues inside an old book
Chain lines can reveal how an old sheet of paper was made. Learn what to look for and why the pattern alone cannot date a book.
Book History
Cancel leaves: how printers replaced a page in a bound book
A replacement leaf can preserve evidence of a book’s revision. Learn the terms cancellans and cancellandum and read catalogue notes carefully.
Reading Poetry
Chiasmus pairs ideas in reverse order
Recognise the ABBA pattern of chiasmus and see how reversing ideas can sharpen a sentence—or merely make it sound convincing.
Reading Poetry
Erasure poetry asks you to read the words that remain and the gaps between
Erasure poetry makes a new work by removing words from an existing text. Read the surviving language, the spaces, and the relationship with the source.
Reading Practice
A lipogram turns a missing letter into a writing challenge
Try reading and writing a lipogram: a text that leaves out a chosen letter. A tiny constraint can reveal unexpected habits in vocabulary and rhythm.