“But my dear, what a book!” Developing the history of reading at home as a theme for your audiences

Seminar at the Geffrye Museum of the Home

Wednesday 3 October 2012

12 midday to 4 o’clock

This afternoon seminar will explore how museums, historic houses and libraries can best interpret and represent the liveliness of historic reading habits. Book historians have used sources – letters, diaries, inventories, booksellers’ records and annotations and inscriptions in books themselves – to explore the different practices of reading at home amongst different readers.

Reading at home has emerged as not only a solitary, silent, studious activity, but a social, noisy one, with families and reading groups buying and borrowing books to read together.

How do we go about interpreting different readers and reading practices to best engage our audiences? Discussing this question on the day will be Abigail Williams, University Lecturer and Lord White Fellow and Tutor in English, St Peter’s College, Oxford, Mark Purcell, National Trust Libraries Curator and Hannah Fleming, Curatorial Assistant, The Geffrye Museum.

To secure your place complete the booking form and return to historiesofhomessn@geffrye-museum.org.uk

Reading seminar info

SSN Reading Seminar booking form

Reading seminar programme