Oxford Bibliographical Society
@obs1922.bsky.social
Founded 104 years ago, the OBS celebrates the collection, care, and enjoyment of libraries, books, and archives of all sizes📚 Oxford, England oxbibsoc.wordpress.com
I have just received my copy of Issue 6 of @inscriptionjournal.bsky.social - surely the most material of all texts, look at these glorious THINGS! This issue contains my article on J. L. Carr's (yes, the 'Month in the Country' author, also publisher & artist) pocketbook of 'The Reeves Tale'.
Thanks to the urbane people at @thetls.bsky.social for this nice piece about INSCRIPTION 6 (on cuts and tears), including the great Buzz Spector ripping up pages.
"A stroke of genius from the issue’s editorial and design team." Lovely and detailed review of INSCRIPTION edition 6 (on tears and cuts) from BOOKS ON BOOKS. books-on-books.com/2026/07/14/b... @gillpartington.bsky.social
Issue 6 of _Inscription: The Journal of Material Text_: Cuts and Tears
Explore the rich themes of tearing and cutting in _Inscription 6_, with Buzz Spector's book art, AT Kabe Wilson's exhibit _Copywrong_ and dozens more.
books-on-books.com
Come along on Wednesday at 6pm at Waterstone's, Cambridge to hear the mysterious, incorrigibly plural "Frances Wise" in conversation with @katesawyer.bsky.social about The Book Game. Readings, Q&A, signings: the full literary trimmings. @chloehouston.bsky.social www.waterstones.com/events/an-ev...
An Evening with Frances Wise | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | Waterstones
Events at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about An Evening with Frances Wise today.
waterstones.com
THIS! All welcome.
Inscription: the Journal of Material Text@inscriptionjournal.bsky.social · 2mo agoInscription issue 6 launches on 22nd June! Come and join us to celebrate. There'll be performances and refreshments and much cutting and tearing. Attendance is free but registration is compulsory. Find out more and reserve your place here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inscriptio...
Borna Izadpanah on 'Printing the Qur’an across Empires' All welcome to our final event of the academic year - in person in Oxford, or online (email secretary@oxbibsoc.org.uk).
Our next talk! All welcome! Dr Alice Wickenden, The 'sticky' materiality of early-modern book provenances. A discussion of deletions of ownership inscriptions in early-modern books. Thur 21 May, 5.15pm. Oakeshott Room, Lincoln College, Oxford + live on zoom (email secretary@oxbibsoc.org.uk)
📣 Last day to pre-order the new monograph from the OBS! J. C. Ross on Samuel Palmer of London: printer, 1717–1732: his career, printing and ornament use. Pre-publication deal for non members before 30 April, £65 with free UK postage. oxbibsoc.org.uk/publications/
Publications
Stop Press! New monograph from the Oxford Bibliographical Society: J. C. Ross on Samuel Palmer of London: printer, 1717–1732: his career, printing and ornament use. J. C. Ross’s study of…
oxbibsoc.org.uk
Re-reading books: a mini essay (ft. EM Forster, Jane Austen, Moldova) open.substack.com/pub/adamsmyt...
Re-reading
It’s an odd temporal tumbling, re-reading a book you read a long time ago.
open.substack.com
We are delighted to be able to offer small grants to support exciting research!
Dr Alison Ray@liber-ray.bsky.social · 5mo agoSo pleased to have received a small grant from the fantastic @obs1922.bsky.social to carry out research on Oxford collections this summer for my book project! 🤗📖🎉
Our next event! Sarah Cusk and Sophie Floate, Printed books from the libraries of some Oxford humanists Thursday 12th March, 5:15pm, Lower Lecture Theatre, Berrow Foundation Building, @lincoln.ox.ac.uk With a small exhibition! In-person only: book via email secretary@oxbibsoc.org.uk.
OBS / Lincoln College research associate position! We invite early career / grad scholars to apply to our new 2-week research associate position @lincoln.ox.ac.uk. Any interesting projects that will benefit from 2 weeks at Lincoln -- £500, accommodation and meals. Deadline 27th March
On Thursday of this week (12th Feb.)! Books! Collectors! Elizabethans! Libraries! In person (Oxford) or online (Zoom).
a book called 6 language visual dictionary sits on a shelf with other books
ALT: a book called 6 language visual dictionary sits on a shelf with other books
media.tenor.com
Oxford Bibliographical Society@obs1922.bsky.social · 6mo agoOur next talk! Francesca Galligan on 'Sir Christopher Hatton and his books: reconstructing an Elizabethan library.' How and why do we reconstruct historic libraries? Thurs 12th February, 5:15 pm T.S. Eliot Theatre, Merton College, Oxford (+ online via Zoom - register secretary@oxbibsoc.org.uk)
Our next talk! Francesca Galligan on 'Sir Christopher Hatton and his books: reconstructing an Elizabethan library.' How and why do we reconstruct historic libraries? Thurs 12th February, 5:15 pm T.S. Eliot Theatre, Merton College, Oxford (+ online via Zoom - register secretary@oxbibsoc.org.uk)
Grants! We are offering small grants (maximum £500 each) to support projects in book history & bibliography. We particularly encourage early-career applicants and projects that use Oxford collections. Application is brief; deadline is 27th February 2026. Details at oxbibsoc.org.uk/grants/
Grants
Previous grant recipients If you would like to help us support early career scholars in bibliography, please email our Treasurer (treasurer@oxbibsoc.org.uk) to discuss how you can help. Any donatio…
oxbibsoc.org.uk
Deadline extended! You have until Monday October 20th to put in an abstract! #queerbibliography #transbookhistory @bibsoc.bsky.social @bibsocamer.bsky.social @obs1922.bsky.social @transbookhistory.bsky.social @thetransfemininereview.com @sharpnews.bsky.social @royalhistsoc.org
J.D. Sargan@jdsargan.bsky.social · 10mo agoYour challenge for this weekend is to put in an abstract for Queer Bibliography 2026. It's what all the cool kids are doing. The theme is Space, Place, Community (widely understood, certainly not limited to the South). CFP: shorturl.at/XAVJ0; Submit: forms.gle/XD7FgrrStp3j... Athens GA and online
Our next talk! (In person, and online). Come along to hear Paul Nash on some of early print's most riddling questions.
Our next talk! Come along to hear Paul Nash on some of printing's earliest riddling questions.
New OBS members list from the 1920s, including yet-to-be-rumbled forger TJ Wise. If you’re a forger - or not - and would like to join, come and visit us at Firsts London Book Fair!
First time for the OBS at the lovely @firstsrarebooks.bsky.social in the Saatchi Gallery, London. And look at the queue for us! Come and join and collect your free book!
This event @blackwelloxford.bsky.social is free to attend, and our manager Sian plans to bring something nice upstairs to the third floor to show off to attendees
Oxford Bibliographical Society@obs1922.bsky.social · last yr.
This evening! If you’re in Oxford— come along!
Oxford Bibliographical Society@obs1922.bsky.social · last yr.Ahem
Dr Liam Sims@liamsims.bsky.social · last yr.Bodley’s Librarian Falconer Madan asking Cambridge librarian Charles Sayle to give a talk to the Ox. Bibliographical Society (@obs1922.bsky.social) in 1922. The audience might include ‘some ladies to fill up vacant spaces’. Different times. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social MS Add. 8548.
Thanks for @thetls.bsky.social and to ASG Edwards for a generous review of our ESSAYS TO MARK THE CENTENARY OF THE OXFORD BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 1922–2022, ed. David Rundle and H. R. Woudhuysen. Copies available for purchase via oxbibsoc.org.uk! www.the-tls.co.uk/literature/b...
Ordering the University of Oxford’s literary treasure troves
“Oxford has been doing bibliography in one form or another for at least ten centuries”, Henry Woudhuysen observes in his introduction to this collection
the-tls.co.uk
A micro-essay on people with the same name: open.substack.com/pub/adamsmyt...
Repeating Names
A little while ago I was reading about the late 18th-century English clergyman, biographer and antiquary, Mark Noble (1754-1827), author of several works including Two Dissertations on the Mint and Co...
open.substack.com
