Apologies...

Sorry for the lack of content recently and for letting what was once a rather active blog go fallow. One post (often rehashed) every so many months simply will not do, nor is it fair to anyone who has kindly enjoyed reading what I've written in the past!

There are changes afoot that I hope will remedy this. In a week's time I am returning to New Zealand where I will take up the role of Curator of Rare Books and Fine Printing with the Alexander Turnbull Library as of 13 July.

Those who know me know I prefer to keep this blog professional rather than personal, so I will not go into the reasons why I feel a return to New Zealand will see a return of regular posts to Antipodean Footnotes. I do, however, feel I owed those who read and follow my blog an apology for being completely off my game lately. I very much appreciate your interest in what I have to write about books and book history, and do hope you will bear with me as I turn the page on a new chapter in my life and career.

Will write again once settled into my new position. Until then, sincere thanks for reading this, and take care!

Publication Announcement: 'Hocken. Prince of Collectors'

Delighted to hear Donald Kerr's book on one of New Zealand's greatest book collectors, Dr Thomas Morland Hocken, will be available in just a couple of months. I'm certainly not alone in saying how much I am looking forward to reading it. Congratulations, Donald!

From the University of Otago Press website:

Dr Thomas Morland Hocken (1836–1910) arrived in Dunedin in 1862, aged 26. Throughout his busy life as a medical practitioner he amassed books, manuscripts, sketches, maps and photographs of early New Zealand. Much of his initial collecting focused on the early discovery narratives of James Cook; along with the writings of Rev. Samuel Marsden and his contemporaries; Edward Gibbon Wakefield and the New Zealand Company; and Maori, especially in the south. He gifted his collection to the University of Otago in 1910. 

Hocken was a contemporary of New Zealand’s other two notable early book collectors, Sir George Grey and Alexander Turnbull. In this magnificent piece of research, a companion volume to his Amassing Treasures for All Times: Sir George Grey, colonial bookman and collector (2006), Donald Kerr examines Hocken’s collecting activities and his vital contribution to preserving the history of New Zealand’s early post-contact period.

PUBLICATION DETAILS: Hocken. Prince of Collectors by Donald Kerr 

Otago University Press http://www.otago.ac.nz/press

Jacketed hardback, 155 x 240 mm 

424 pp & 40 pp photos 

ISBN 978-1-877578-66-3, $60.00

IN-STORE: JUNE 2015

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For more on Hocken and his collection, see the Hocken Library website:

http://www.otago.ac.nz/library/hocken/

'The Book Beautiful' at the Alexander Turnbull Library

[Guest post by Ruth Lightbourne, Curator of Rare Books and Fine Printing, Alexander Turnbull Library]

A new exhibition 'The Book Beautiful' opens in the Turnbull Gallery on Monday 2nd March. This promises to be a feast for the eyes and is something not to be missed: http://natlib.govt.nz/visiting/wellington/the-turnbull-gallery.

A number of events are hosted in conjunction with the exhibition.

The first related events:
On Tuesday 3rd March 5.30-6.30pm in the Te Ahumairangi rooms on the Ground Floor at the National Library, Dr Claire Bolton will give a talk 'Imperfect impressions: clues to 15th century printing practices'. Her talk will be accompanied by colourful slides. All are welcome. Dr Bolton, who teaches printing and this year tutored a course on 15th century books at the London Rare Book School, also ran the Alembric Press in Oxford, England, for over 45 years. For more information, see http://natlib.govt.nz/events/imperfect-impressions.

On Saturday 7th March 2-3pm, Alison Furminger will be giving a class in beginners calligraphy in the Te Ahumairangi rooms on the Ground Floor at the National Library. This event is limited to 20 participants, and booking is required. See the National Library website for details on how to book http://natlib.govt.nz/events/beginners-calligraphy-mar-7. The class will be repeated on Saturday 21 March. 

Other events:
~ Visit to the Waiteata Press (a working hand press) http://natlib.govt.nz/events/letterpress-rules-mar-13
~ Trip to the printing department at Massey to observe printmaking
~ A visit to the National Library conservation lab to watch the Library's conservators at work http://natlib.govt.nz/events/conservation-and-the-book-beautiful
~ Readings from old and middle English by Emeritus Professor Robert Easting http://natlib.govt.nz/events/some-changes-in-the-english-language-chaucer-in-the-middle

Several talks on the arts of the book will be held over the course of the next few months. Some of these events are limited in numbers and booking will be required. Keep an eye out for new additions as there are other events still being finalised http://natlib.govt.nz/events.

ILAB Pop Up Book Fair + Shakespeare Folios

Will you be in Sydney on 23 April 2015?

If so, be sure to stop by the wonderful State Library of New South Wales for what will be the first in a series of world-wide pop up book fairs organised by the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers celebrating UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day.

Visitors will not only have the chance to browse and buy from some of Australia's leading antiquarian booksellers, but also have the opportunity to make a donation to help raise money for the UNESCO literacy programme.

For the event, which coincides with William Shakespeare's birthday, the library will be displaying all four of its Shakespeare Folios, which includes the only known copy of the 1623 First Folio in Australia.

An antiquarian book fair. The Shakespeare Folios. Advancing literacy. Really, what could be better?

Further details can be found on the ILAB website (http://goo.gl/2x4Lso) and the ANZAAB homepage (http://www.anzaab.com/index.cfm), which notes two other Australian pop up fairs being held in Dunkeld and Hamilton (both in the state of Victoria).

The fairs and exhibition are free and open to the public.

The Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc. Annual Conference 2015

Turning the Page: Bibliographical Innovation and the Legacy of Aldus Manutius


The University of Melbourne, Australia
Date: 26 and 27 November 2015




2015 marks the quincentenary of the death of the great printer and publisher Aldus Manutius (c. 1451–1515). Aldus was an innovator in a number of ways, from his development and use of the first italic typeface and publishing of small octavo editions, to printing many first editions of classical Greek authors and the production of one of the most beautifully designed and illustrated books of the fifteenth century, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.

To honour Aldus’s life and afterlife, the Society invites papers exploring innovation or design in the printed book in any period from the time of Aldus to the modern day. Possible topics can cover any aspect of the history of the book, from bibliography and publishing, to the reading experience and the transition from print to digital format.

Enquiries and proposals of 250 words for papers of 20 to 25 minutes should be sent to Anthony Tedeschi (atedeschi[@]unimelb.edu.au), Special Collections, Baillieu Library, The University of Melbourne. The deadline for paper proposals is Monday 29 June 2015. Students undertaking higher degree research are encouraged to submit offers of ‘work in progress’ papers; some travel bursaries will be available.

Further information and the full conference programme will be posted on the BSANZ Inc. website:

http://www.bsanz.org/conferences

Dunedin, NZ : UNESCO City of Literature

While not rare book specific, I could not resist posting the fantastic news that my previous home for six and a half years has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature!

Here is the write-up by Eileen Goodwin in today's Otago Daily Times:

Dunedin has stepped on to the international literary stage, late last night being named a Unesco Creative City of Literature.

The designation puts the city on the world map as a first-class literary centre, Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said.It would help the city attract cultural tourism, tertiary students and new residents, he said.

One of Dunedin's first steps as a City of Literature will be to organise an international conference related to literary culture.

Dunedin was one of four newly designated Cities of Literature - the others were Granada, in Spain, Heidelberg, in Germany, and Prague, in the Czech Republic.

They join existing Cities of Literature Edinburgh, Melbourne, Iowa City, Dublin, Reykjavik, Norwich and Krakow. A country can only have one Unesco City of Literature.

The designation showed the city was ''up there'' with other culturally significant cities, and was not a ''colonial outpost'', Mr Cull said.

Coming soon after the city was named the first Gigatown, the designation was further evidence that Dunedin was moving forward, he said.

Dunedin's application highlighted its literary heritage, literary events, institutions and organisations, and its community or writers, playwrights and lyricists.

''It gives us another point of difference,'' Mr Cull said.

''At a local and national level, this announcement will have cultural and economic benefits.

''The value of having a rich culture is evidenced by events such as this year's inaugural Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival, which had an unexpected number of soldout events, and attracted authors with an international profile.

''Being a City of Literature is a great brand and a very fitting one, given that Robbie Burns' statue presides over our central city.''

Dunedin City Council arts and culture group manager Bernie Hawke said six of the existing Cities of Literature backed the bid, and Dunedin was particularly grateful for the support of its sister city, Edinburgh.

''We have been wonderfully supported internationally and locally by writers' groups and trusts, and national writing and publishing associations, as well as the University of Otago.''

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For more on Dunedin's efforts and literary city profile, see its City of Literature website and Facebook page:

http://www.cityofliterature.co.nz

https://www.facebook.com/cityofliteraturenz

Hats off to the steering committee - Liz Knowles, Noel Waite, Bernie Hawke and Annie Villiers - for all their hard work and a job well done!

Turnbull Library Rare Books on Tumblr

The Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand, has launched a Tumblr page for its Rare Books & Fine Printing Collection:

http://turnbullrarebooks.tumblr.com

The page is off to a fun start, with topics ranging from medieval manuscripts and an eighteenth-century geometric binding, to decorative endpapers and the title-page of one of the Turnbull's copies of Aurora Australis, the first book published in Antarctica created by Ernest Shackleton.

A personal favourite is a closeup image of the pigments used on the illuminated title-page of a Persian manuscript:

If you like what you see and have a Tumblr account, do consider following and help build the library's follower base. Enjoy!