Delegates will see ‘Treasures of Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives’
Treasures from the archives draw medieval experts
Medieval book experts are flocking to the University of Exeter for an international conference themed on the preservation, packaging and consumption of manuscripts and early printed books. A wealth of medieval treasures in the city will be pored over, with visits to Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives and Devon Record Office as well as the University’s own Special Collections department.
The Eleventh Biennial Early Book Society Conference runs at the University from 9-12 July.
The conference is entitled ‘Accipe et Devora: Packaging, Presentation and Consumption of Manuscripts and Printed Books, 1350-1550’. In keeping with this theme delegates will have a preview of some of the medieval ‘Treasures of Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives’ which will be showcased in a special exhibition in the Cathedral, open to the general public from Monday 13 July – Tuesday 1 September. The University’s valuable collection of fifteenth to seventeenth-century manuscripts and rare books from the community of Bridgettine nuns at Syon Abbey, now in South Brent, Devon, will also be on display to delegates. Devon Record Office’s Conservation Studio in Sowton will be demonstrating their high-tech approach to conserving old texts to the 85 experts from countries including the US, Japan and Canada.
Dr Emma Cayley, Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Exeter and main conference organiser says: “Hosting this conference in Exeter showcases the vast resources available in Devon and Cornwall to support medieval study: the wealth of early manuscripts, books, and ancient buildings and sites here. We are extremely grateful to local organisations for welcoming our international guests with treasures from their archives. By examining the physical objects themselves we enter into direct engagement with history, finding out about the people who read or consumed these books, and how and why they were preserved.”
Medieval subjects will be brought to life with a concert on Thursday 9 July from ‘Le Basile’ – a group of talented young musicians specialising in music of the 13th-15th Centuries. For the first time in 600 years a song called ‘Je Suis Cellui’ will be performed - it has only recently been discovered and transcribed into modern notation by Uri Smilansky, a PhD student at Exeter. The concert is at 9pm in Reed Hall and is open to all. Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions) and bookings can be made by emailing tr230@ex.ac.uk.
Date: 8 July 2009
