The Histories and Mysteries of Book Publishing

Porscha Fermanis, Eoin McCarney, Dr Lucy Collins and Dr Tapasya Narang spoke about their fascination with studying books as objects, with marginalia, and with micro-histories in the larger processes of book distribution and reception. Dr Michael Hinds (Dublin City University) moderated the discussion.

National Library of Ireland’s director, Dr Audrey Whitty, welcomed the audience and invited the speakers to share their research. The session began with Professor Porscha Fermanis’s introduction to her study of libraries’ acquisition policies, acts of curation, and classification of books. Her presentation provided interesting insights into books’ treatment by colonial and metropolitan institutions in the nineteenth century. She provided fascinating details on how certain books became embodiment of imperial power, and ‘calling cards of the British Empire.’

Eoin McCarney provided insider information into National Library of Ireland’s acquisition policies and showed a wide range of material that the library is now acquiring from small press producers to provide visibility and longevity to local Irish ephemeral productions. McCarney also shared information about various historical divisions of the National Library, including a room called ‘the hell’ that contained condemned books.

Dr Lucy Collins shared her research on the significance of publishing to the Irish Revivalist project. She drew attention to how Dun Emer and Cuala enterprises linked publishing to larger international developments, including the Arts and Crafts movement. Her talk explored how certain fugitive printing projects defined the way Irish literary tradition is now perceived.

Dr Tapasya Narang explored how book publishing involves a set of actors, including proofreaders, editors and publishers, who all contribute to the message contained in a book. She stressed the significance of visiting the sites of publication to retrieve the contributions of unsung geniuses and suggested that ‘micro-histories of publishing are as important as major events like an author winning the Booker’.

The event’s chair, Dr Michael Hinds, posed an interesting question, ‘should one write in books?’ The audience matched the speakers’ enthusiasm for enquiry into the history of books. One person asked if digitalisation of books was perceived as a positive or negative development!