Beyond the Book Keynote Lecture: Emma Smith

How and why did books get such a hold on us? How has this technology shaped us over the last two millennia?

Hear from Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford University and author of Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers, on the continuities and change across the long history of books and their readers, emphasising that it is books' physical form – their 'bookhood' – that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic.

The lecture will cover everything from ancient bibles to a new look at Gutenberg, the radical history of paperbacking, Marilyn Monroe’s reading habits, the first printed book in Australia, and even a book made of wrapped slices of cheese.

Reserve your spot now.

This event is part of Beyond the Book: Transforming the Early Modern Archive. View the full series of events here.

About Emma Smith

Emma Smith is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Hertford College, University of Oxford, and the 2023 Sam Wanamaker Fellow at Shakespeare's Globe in London. She has written and lectured widely on Shakespeare, including the bestselling books This is Shakespeare: How to Read the World's Greatest Playwright (Penguin, 2019), and Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers (Penguin, 2022). 

About Beyond the Book: Transforming the Early Modern Archive

Explore how traditional archival scholarship and emerging digital technologies combine to bring materials from the past to new audiences. Join digital designers, specialist librarians and early modern scholars from leading universities and libraries.

About the Emmerson Collection

The Emmerson Collection of rare books is Australia's largest collection of rare British printed works. The collection will be featured feature in State Library Victoria’s latest exhibition, Beyond the Book: A Journey through the Emmerson Collection, which creates a new way to experience rare books and collection data in the digital realm. This project has been developed through a collaborative partnership funded by an ARC Linkage Grant.

Exhibition partners include Australian National University, University of Newcastle, Victoria University of Wellington and State Library Victoria.