Michael Durrant
@michaelwdurrant.bsky.social
Lecturer in Book History at IES. Author of The Dreadful Name of Henry Hills, out soon with MUP (https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526129390/#generate-pdf). Co-editor of The Routledge Companion to Book Studies.
Pinned
Reposted by Michael Durrant
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...
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
Introduction to Handwriting in England c. 700-1700
Introduction to Handwriting in England c. 700-1700
ies.sas.ac.uk
January 21, 2026 at 6:10 PM
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...
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
Reposted by Michael Durrant
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.
Here are 8 successful *proposals* for academic books/monographs. I am hoping that these help someone who is starting out trying to write one and wants to see what worked for me. They are provided as examples, rather than exemplars. A lot of it was just finding my own way eve.gd/2026/01/16/s...
Some example academic book proposal forms in case they help
A pivotal moment in my academic career, or at least one I remember clearly, was when a very senior professor in the US sent me his book proposal for an acade...
eve.gd
January 19, 2026 at 9:35 AM
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.
Update! Alongside the exhibition @senatehouselib.bsky.social also seeks to appoint a Printer in Residence to produce a contemporary response to the exhibition and to be an important part of the public engagement programme for the project: www.london.ac.uk/senate-house... @ies-sas.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Update! Alongside the exhibition @senatehouselib.bsky.social also seeks to appoint a Printer in Residence to produce a contemporary response to the exhibition and to be an important part of the public engagement programme for the project: www.london.ac.uk/senate-house... @ies-sas.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Durrant
Read more about the London Rare Book School on the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers website!
"LRBS offers a vibrant and exciting way in which to study the history of the book, learn new skills, and meet book-minded people."
ilab.org/article/buil...
"LRBS offers a vibrant and exciting way in which to study the history of the book, learn new skills, and meet book-minded people."
ilab.org/article/buil...
Building Skills for the Rare Book World: The London Rare Books School announces its programme for 2026 - ILAB - EN
ilab.org
January 14, 2026 at 8:54 AM
Read more about the London Rare Book School on the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers website!
"LRBS offers a vibrant and exciting way in which to study the history of the book, learn new skills, and meet book-minded people."
ilab.org/article/buil...
"LRBS offers a vibrant and exciting way in which to study the history of the book, learn new skills, and meet book-minded people."
ilab.org/article/buil...
Reposted by Michael Durrant
I’m teaching the history of book collecting at London Rare Book School this summer. It will be fun! 👇
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
An Introduction to Book Collecting and Book Cultures
This course will pursue a panoptic view of the growth of book culture and the practice of book collecting.
ies.sas.ac.uk
January 12, 2026 at 5:38 PM
I’m teaching the history of book collecting at London Rare Book School this summer. It will be fun! 👇
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
‘The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond’, a collab between @ies-sas.bsky.social and @senatehouselib.bsky.social celebrating 550 years of printing in England, opens @senatehouselib.bsky.social on 26 Feb 2026! www.london.ac.uk/about/servic...
The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond
See the first book in which Caxton was ever involved, one of the books he printed in England, and examples of later genres, typefaces and illustrations for which he paved the way.
www.london.ac.uk
January 9, 2026 at 9:47 AM
‘The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond’, a collab between @ies-sas.bsky.social and @senatehouselib.bsky.social celebrating 550 years of printing in England, opens @senatehouselib.bsky.social on 26 Feb 2026! www.london.ac.uk/about/servic...
Reposted by Michael Durrant
Inscription 6 on cuts/tears ft. academic articles + art by Dave Beech, Stephen Emmerson, Lucio Fontana, Jo Hamill, Simon Morris, Buzz Spector, Carolyn Thompson, Patrick Wildgust, Steven Zultanski.
Cover: Abigail Reynolds' St Paul’s
Advance copies: inscriptionjournal.com/how-to-buy/
Cover: Abigail Reynolds' St Paul’s
Advance copies: inscriptionjournal.com/how-to-buy/
December 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Inscription 6 on cuts/tears ft. academic articles + art by Dave Beech, Stephen Emmerson, Lucio Fontana, Jo Hamill, Simon Morris, Buzz Spector, Carolyn Thompson, Patrick Wildgust, Steven Zultanski.
Cover: Abigail Reynolds' St Paul’s
Advance copies: inscriptionjournal.com/how-to-buy/
Cover: Abigail Reynolds' St Paul’s
Advance copies: inscriptionjournal.com/how-to-buy/
Reposted by Michael Durrant
A 🧵on all the courses on offer for our London Rare Books Summer School.
All information about the summer school, bursaries and booking information can be found here:
buff.ly/A5B4G2p
All information about the summer school, bursaries and booking information can be found here:
buff.ly/A5B4G2p
December 15, 2025 at 7:56 AM
A 🧵on all the courses on offer for our London Rare Books Summer School.
All information about the summer school, bursaries and booking information can be found here:
buff.ly/A5B4G2p
All information about the summer school, bursaries and booking information can be found here:
buff.ly/A5B4G2p
The next Stevenson Lecture (25 Feb 2026) will be delivered by @oldfortunatus.bsky.social (University of Oxford). ‘Richard Oswald’s Library: Slavery, Collecting, and the Invention of Rare Books’ will be free to attend but booking essential. Link below 👇
Stevenson Lecture 2026 | Richard Oswald’s Library: Slavery, Collecting, and the Invention of Rare Books
ies.sas.ac.uk
November 26, 2025 at 7:29 AM
The next Stevenson Lecture (25 Feb 2026) will be delivered by @oldfortunatus.bsky.social (University of Oxford). ‘Richard Oswald’s Library: Slavery, Collecting, and the Invention of Rare Books’ will be free to attend but booking essential. Link below 👇
November 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Michael Durrant
✨ Booking is now open for the 2026 London Rare Books School! ✨
EARLY BIRD OFFER
21 November - 23 January: Use code LRBS10 to receive 10% off the booking fee at the checkout
@sas-news.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
EARLY BIRD OFFER
21 November - 23 January: Use code LRBS10 to receive 10% off the booking fee at the checkout
@sas-news.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
London Rare Books School
The London Rare Books School (LRBS) at the Institute of English Studies, University of London runs a series of intensive courses on a variety of book-related subjects
ies.sas.ac.uk
November 21, 2025 at 9:21 AM
✨ Booking is now open for the 2026 London Rare Books School! ✨
EARLY BIRD OFFER
21 November - 23 January: Use code LRBS10 to receive 10% off the booking fee at the checkout
@sas-news.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
EARLY BIRD OFFER
21 November - 23 January: Use code LRBS10 to receive 10% off the booking fee at the checkout
@sas-news.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
A big thank you to Mark Wiltshire and the team Christie’s for a fantastic show and tell today with @ies-sas.bsky.social History of the Book students. Featuring a guest appearance from Joseph Moxon, an array of gorgeous medieval manuscripts, plus a (the!) tube map #bookhistory
November 19, 2025 at 5:22 PM
A big thank you to Mark Wiltshire and the team Christie’s for a fantastic show and tell today with @ies-sas.bsky.social History of the Book students. Featuring a guest appearance from Joseph Moxon, an array of gorgeous medieval manuscripts, plus a (the!) tube map #bookhistory
Reposted by Michael Durrant
Do you have students working on medieval or renaissance books? We have online winter school courses that might help them. More information about the January 2026 courses here 👇
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
IES: LIPS & LRBS Winter School | 2026
ies.sas.ac.uk
November 19, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Michael Durrant
“Around six months after the cyber incident I talked to the then chair of the science select committee, who was not aware of this incident” w o w
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:13 PM
“Around six months after the cyber incident I talked to the then chair of the science select committee, who was not aware of this incident” w o w
Reposted by Michael Durrant
As part of the Fredson Bowers award from @bibsoc.bsky.social (🙏) I’ll be giving a short talk on ‘The reassembly, analysis and appraisal of John Bellingham Inglis (1780-1870): #rarebooks collector; savant; scholar; slave owner’
November 18th, 5-7pm.
In person / online bibsoc.org.uk/event/panel-...
November 18th, 5-7pm.
In person / online bibsoc.org.uk/event/panel-...
November 2, 2025 at 9:13 AM
As part of the Fredson Bowers award from @bibsoc.bsky.social (🙏) I’ll be giving a short talk on ‘The reassembly, analysis and appraisal of John Bellingham Inglis (1780-1870): #rarebooks collector; savant; scholar; slave owner’
November 18th, 5-7pm.
In person / online bibsoc.org.uk/event/panel-...
November 18th, 5-7pm.
In person / online bibsoc.org.uk/event/panel-...
Hello! I’m looking for scholarship on the management of artificial light in early modern workplace environments. Any suggestions most welcome! #earlymodern #bookhistory
November 18, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Hello! I’m looking for scholarship on the management of artificial light in early modern workplace environments. Any suggestions most welcome! #earlymodern #bookhistory
Many thanks to @ies-sas.bsky.social graduate, Zachary Larsen, Charlotte Miller, and all the team @quaritch1847.bsky.social for welcoming our MA cohort so warmly today!
November 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Many thanks to @ies-sas.bsky.social graduate, Zachary Larsen, Charlotte Miller, and all the team @quaritch1847.bsky.social for welcoming our MA cohort so warmly today!
Reposted by Michael Durrant
It’s Book Collecting Seminar day @ies-sas.bsky.social and @quaritch1847.bsky.social #BookHistory and we’re hearing from Jonathan Nathan about the Cymbalum Mundi
November 11, 2025 at 6:10 PM
It’s Book Collecting Seminar day @ies-sas.bsky.social and @quaritch1847.bsky.social #BookHistory and we’re hearing from Jonathan Nathan about the Cymbalum Mundi
Finally got to see The Nature of Gothic exhibition (and the small corner I got to curate). Go visit Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery before it closes on 13 December! #bookhistory @ies-sas.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Finally got to see The Nature of Gothic exhibition (and the small corner I got to curate). Go visit Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery before it closes on 13 December! #bookhistory @ies-sas.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Durrant
Our MA History of the Book students had a fantastic trip to St Bride Foundation, which houses the world's largest print and publishing library and a fabulous print workshop
www.instagram.com/reel/DQeGTQP...
www.instagram.com/reel/DQeGTQP...
sasnews on Instagram: "A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of joining the MA History of the Book students for a unique and fascinating experience to learn…"
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of joining the MA History of the Book students for a unique and fascinating experience to learn about historic printing techniques. Take a look!
www.instagram.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Our MA History of the Book students had a fantastic trip to St Bride Foundation, which houses the world's largest print and publishing library and a fabulous print workshop
www.instagram.com/reel/DQeGTQP...
www.instagram.com/reel/DQeGTQP...
Reposted by Michael Durrant
Booking is open the short course 'Black Atlas in the Warburg Archives'
📅25-27 November 2025 🕔5-7pm 🏢Warburg
This course highlights resources for studying Africa and the Americas and their diasporas at @warburginstitute.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
📅25-27 November 2025 🕔5-7pm 🏢Warburg
This course highlights resources for studying Africa and the Americas and their diasporas at @warburginstitute.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
Black Atlas in the Warburg Archives
ies.sas.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Booking is open the short course 'Black Atlas in the Warburg Archives'
📅25-27 November 2025 🕔5-7pm 🏢Warburg
This course highlights resources for studying Africa and the Americas and their diasporas at @warburginstitute.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
📅25-27 November 2025 🕔5-7pm 🏢Warburg
This course highlights resources for studying Africa and the Americas and their diasporas at @warburginstitute.bsky.social
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Michael Durrant
We are delighted to host a major international symposium occasioned by the publication of 'Literature and Learning: A History of English Studies in Britain' by Stefan Collini
⏰Thurs 30 Oct 2025, 2-7pm
📍Senate House, London
The event is free to attend
BOOK NOW ⤵️
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
⏰Thurs 30 Oct 2025, 2-7pm
📍Senate House, London
The event is free to attend
BOOK NOW ⤵️
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
The History of English Studies in Britain: a Symposium
ies.sas.ac.uk
October 15, 2025 at 1:38 PM
We are delighted to host a major international symposium occasioned by the publication of 'Literature and Learning: A History of English Studies in Britain' by Stefan Collini
⏰Thurs 30 Oct 2025, 2-7pm
📍Senate House, London
The event is free to attend
BOOK NOW ⤵️
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
⏰Thurs 30 Oct 2025, 2-7pm
📍Senate House, London
The event is free to attend
BOOK NOW ⤵️
ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Michael Durrant
We're so excited to welcome our new cohort of History of the Book students! In Week 1, they will delve into artists' books, bookbinding, and textual scholarship
#historyofthebook #bookhistory
#historyofthebook #bookhistory
October 1, 2025 at 9:45 AM
We're so excited to welcome our new cohort of History of the Book students! In Week 1, they will delve into artists' books, bookbinding, and textual scholarship
#historyofthebook #bookhistory
#historyofthebook #bookhistory