Almanac, Battledore, Chapbook … An ABC of Pre-Modern Popular Print for Children
Almanac, Battledore, Chapbook … An ABC of Pre-Modern Popular Print for Children
We are all familiar with the classics of children’s literature published before the 20th century, from Aesop to Aschenputtel to Alice. What we know less about is the cheap, throwaway print that existed alongside them. These publications were sometimes instructional, such as abcs and catechisms, or more obviously entertaining, such as fairy tales and picture-sheets. We now recognise that these texts were printed in vast numbers, and similar publications were also being produced internationally, across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Join Professor Matthew Grenby as he surveys these fascinating, often attractive, but generally ephemeral print artefacts, and considers the relationship between popular and plebeian children’s books, and the global spread of popular print traditions.
‘The history of the book and reading’ series explores the book as both a material and an imaginative object, as well as the rich range of encounters that are possible between reader and text.
The series is organised by the National Library, in collaboration with the School of Humanities, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University.
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Event Details
- National Library Building, Level 5, Possibility Room
- 23 Jan 2019
- 7pm – 8.30pm
- Free admission with registration.