Over the past two weekends, the Otakou Press of the University of Otago Library offered a very successful Summer School letterpress course. Five students undertook hand-printing exercises using a table-top Adana and the Vandercook Proofing press.

The very first piece was a name badge for each student printed on the Adana. The second was a pangram (a text using all the letters of the alphabet) to introduce the students to the ‘California’ layout of the tray, including punctuation marks, ampersands, pound signs, etc. That text was printed on the Vandercook on Zerkall cream paper. The most ambitious exercise was a Shakespearean sonnet, also printed on the Vandercook. Students chose their sonnet and type (mostly 14-point Garamond) and decorated it with an ornament printed in a second colour. The paper used for the sonnets was Freelife Kendo 200gsm. Another intended exercise had been to print a favourite recipe, and creating an 8-page sewn booklet. However, time ran out and this option was not started. One student did manage to print a haiku.

Throughout the two weekends the students were also shown samples of modern hand printing; inspirational press work from New Zealand, Australian, English and American press operators. In addition, they viewed a small number of early printed books with new eyes, appreciating not only the long tradition of hand printing but also the hard work involved in producing such masterpieces.

Overall, it was a very successful workshop led by Dunedin’s best handpress printer, Dr John Holmes, owner operator of his Frayed Frisket Press.

This year’s Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing Annual Conference will take place in July at the University of Western Sydney and the State Library of New South Wales.

This is the first time in SHARP’s 25-year history that the conference has been held outside Europe and North America. Although the deadline for submitting abstracts has passed, the conference represents an opportunity to attend the largest book history conference in the world a bit closer to home. The conference theme is “From First to Last Texts, Creators, Readers, Agents” and the main talks will run from 10–12 July. For further information, and to register, visit the SHARP website.  We will post an update when the conference programme is released.

Visit Special Collections at the de Beer Gallery, University of Otago Library, before 9 March to see Moving to the Left: the Art and Development of the Frontispiece:

What is a frontispiece? When did they first appear in print? Where do they sit in relation to the rest of a book’s contents? These are just some of the questions that this exhibition addresses with the help of examples from the printed books in Special Collections, University of Otago.

The de Beer Gallery is open Monday to Friday, 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. It is located on the First Floor of the Central Library, 65 Albany Street, Dunedin.

Click here for more information on this and other exhibitions or to contact Dr Donald Kerr, Special Collections Librarian.

Join author Lucinda Hawksley for a revealing look at “Dickens the Editor and Journalist.” This public lecture will be held on Thursday 8 February, at 5.30 p.m. in the Castle C Lecture theatre, University of Otago.

Most people aren’t aware that Charles Dickens didn’t only write novels: he began his career as a freelance journalist and continued to be a campaigning and investigative journalist until the day he died. When he tired of being edited by other people, he set up his own magazines, which he edited, wrote for, and commissioned other great writers to work on. In this talk, author Lucinda Dickens Hawksley will reveal a fascinating insight into this little-known world of her great great great grandfather.

As a new year begins, welcome to another series of engaging events and opportunities centred upon books and all aspects of printed or written communication. As usual, the Centre will be hosting a series of public lectures, beginning in February 2018. Our Symposium will be held in October under the title Translation and Transculturation in, through, or by Print. Other exhibitions, talks and bookish occasions will be announced as they arise, so if you are not already a subscriber to this blog, please bookmark or subscribe to our feed to keep up to date with news and future events.

The Centre for the Book looks forward to welcoming you to the University of Otago and to Dunedin.