CLOSED: Call for papers: 'Around the Text'

It was intended that the 2020 Print Networks / CPHC Conference would be held in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, a small market town strategically placed in the Eden Valley between the North Pennines and the Lake District Fells. The theme of the event was ‘A Visitor Attraction: printing for tourists.’ Unfortunately, COVID-19 interrupted our plans and the event was postponed. It will, however, now take place on-line (Zoom) 20-21 July 2021.

Because the location was such a draw for presenters and participants alike, and many were disappointed not to have the chance to visit Appleby, Print Networks / CPHC have decided to run an additional conference which will take place, face-to-face, in Appleby-in-Westmorland 26-27 APRIL 2022.

The theme for this conference is ‘Around the Text’, and it will consider all those supporting materials and activities created around the design, production, and promotion of a printed text, particularly in the Anglophone world. Papers, therefore, are invited on those aspects of a book which buttress the central text-block but which exclude the writing and printing of that text. Possible subjects worthy of examination include, but are not limited to:

Material around the text: Binding; end-leaves; fore-edge printing; substrate.

Notes around the text: annotations; book plates; doodles; family records: births, deaths, marriages; inscriptions of ownership; marginalia.

Text around the text: adverts; colophons; contents lists; dedications; end-matter; footnotes; indexes; running heads and folios; prelims; subscribers lists; title pages.

Type around the text: border units; ornaments; rules; typographic specifications.

Promotions around the text: advertising and publicity; book prizes; book fairs and auctions.

Applications: Proposals for papers of twenty minutes are welcome. Abstracts of 300 words should be accompanied by a brief biography and sent to caroline.archer@bcu.ac.uk by 31 AUGUST 2021. It is understood that papers offered to the conference will be original work and will not have been previously delivered to any similar conference or published elsewhere.

Publication: Papers will be considered for publication in either Publishing History or a future volume of the CPHC series, Printing History and Culture published by Peter Lang Ltd.

More information on ‘A Visitor Attraction: printing for tourists’: for programme and booking.

Print Networks committee: Caroline Archer-Parré; Catherine Armstrong; Maureen Bell; Giles Bergel; Ruth Connolly; John Hinks; Elaine Jackson; Barry McKay; David Osbaldestin; Lisa Peters