Designing English: Early Literature on the Page

Description

Early manuscripts in the English language include religious works, plays, romances, poetry and songs, as well as charms, notebooks, science and medieval medicine. How did scribes choose to arrange the words and images on the page in each manuscript? How did they preserve, clarify and illustrate writing in English? What visual guides were given to early readers of English in how to understand or use their books? 'Designing English' is an overview of eight centuries of graphic design in manuscripts and inscriptions from the Anglo-Saxon to the early Tudor periods. Working beyond the traditions established for Latin, scribes of English needed to be more inventive, so that each book was an opportunity for redesigning. 'Designing English' focuses on the craft, agency and intentions of scribes, painters and engravers in the practical processes of making pages and artefacts. It weighs up the balance of ingenuity and copying, practicality and imagination in their work. It surveys bilingual books, format, ordinatio, decoration and reading aloud, as well as inscriptions on objects, monuments and buildings. With over ninety illustrations, drawn especially from the holdings of the Bodleian Library in Old English and Middle English, 'Designing English' gives a comprehensive overview of English books and other material texts across the Middle Ages.

Daniel Wakelin is Jeremy Griffiths Professor of Medieval English Palaeography in the Faculty of English, University of Oxford.

'From Anglo-Saxon gospels to early Tudor monuments, this beautifully illustrated work explores 800 years of graphic design.' * The Arts Society Journal * 'Studded with nearly a hundred illustrations, this is much more gripping than its over-technical title might suggest.' * History Revealed * 'Good examples of English on the page with a text that illuminates it discursively, full of interesting details and with an original voice. ... I found my vision refreshed and my curiosity enhanced by this attractive book.' * Edge: Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society * 'An extremely important survey ...the quality of the production is high, pricing very competitive and the many full colour illustrations superbly complement the text. 'Designing English' deserves a wide readership, and not just in academia.' -- Colin Steele * Australian Book Collector * 'A welcome addition to a growing corpus of scholarship on pre-modern reading ... a big, gorgeous book, lavishly illustrated.' * TLS *