“Though an Angel Should Write, Still ’tis Devils Must Print”: The Long life of Manuscript Culture in East Asia
Peter Kornicki, University of Cambridge

Manuscripts were an important part of book culture in East Asia up to the 19th century, but why was this so? Did the distinction between printed books and manuscripts matter to contemporary readers? Why were people still laboriously making copies by hand of printed books in the late 19th century? What is the relationship between these forms of book production? This lecture will focus on the age of print and show what we miss by neglecting the manuscript dimension of book culture in pre-modern East Asia.

With the arrival of paper production came innovations. In the 20th century, printing technology shifted to the silicon surface, invisible and requiring a host of inventions to display, preserve, and copy. Manuscripts, prints, or digital formats all require specific methods of housing, accessing, referencing, and using. With the tools of the computer, we are witnessing an era where all forms of writing are being dealt with in new ways. Past efforts to deal with the advent of new technology are potential aids to help us understand the needs of the contemporary world with digital examples.

Reception to follow.