About the event

Accordion, screenfold, chain—various terms have been applied to books folded in a zig-zag or ‘concertina’ pattern. Seen now as novelties, concertina-fold books were once found worldwide. They were even the preferred or sole book format in some places, before the imperial spread of the codex.

A group of international experts will come together for an afternoon conversation on the historic uses of the format in Buddhist, Mixtec and European contexts as part of The Concertina-Fold Book across Time, Space and Cultures project, supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The discussion will be grounded in some of the outstanding examples housed at the Bodleian. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to see a few of the Bodley books in action and play with concertina facsimiles.

Speakers

• Megan McNamee, University of Edinburgh (moderator)
• Benjamin Nourse, University of Denver
• Jamie Forde, University of Edinburgh
• Sarah Griffin, Lambeth Palace Library

Book tickets

This event takes place in person in the Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre at the Weston Library. Booking is required for this event, and tickets are free.

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Location

Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG

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Wheelchair access

There is step-free access to the lecture theatre via Blackwell Hall.

Acknowledgements

With support from The Royal Society of Edinburgh and Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC), University of Hamburg.