About the event

How did the English Bible become a bestseller? Harry Spillane traces this remarkable story in Selling the Word of God: The Early Commercial History of the English Bible (Bodleian Library Publishing, September 2026). 

Spillane’s talk explores how a text once banned became a bestseller. Moving beyond the familiar stories of translators, he turns to the printers, publishers, engravers and booksellers who competed for profit. Through tales of innovation, rivalry, financial risk and spectacular failure, he shows how commercial ambition and entrepreneurial ingenuity transformed the English Bible into a publishing phenomenon that reshaped the English book trade and religious culture.

Speaker

Dr Harry Spillane is Bye-Fellow in History at Downing and Queens’ College, Cambridge and the Anthony Whiting Scholar in Intellectual History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Event information

• This event is free and open to all.

Attend in person

• The event takes place in person in the Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre at the Weston Library. Find out how to get here.
• The Weston Library is wheelchair accessible. Find out more about accessibility at our site.

Watch livestream

• You can also watch the livestream of this event on Zoom. You will receive instructions for joining the Zoom webinar in your confirmation email once you have booked your place. 
• All times listed are UK time. 

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