Turning the Page: Bibliographical Innovation and the Legacy of Aldus Manutius

The University of Melbourne, Australia

Date: 26 and 27 November 2015

2015 marks the quincentenary of the death of the great printer and publisher Aldus Manutius (c. 1451–1515). Aldus was an innovator in a number of ways, from his development and use of the first italic typeface and publishing of small octavo editions, to printing first editions of numerous classical Greek authors and the production of one of the most beautifully designed and illustrated books of the fifteenth century, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.

To honour Aldus’s life and afterlife, the Society invites papers exploring innovation or design in the printed book in any period from the time of Aldus to the modern day. Possible topics include bibliography, printing, typefounding, illustration, bookbinding, publishing, bookselling, collecting, the reading experience, or the transition from print to digital format.

Enquiries and proposals of 250 words for papers of 20 to 25 minutes should be sent to Anthony Tedeschi (atedeschi@unimelb.edu.au), Special Collections, Baillieu Library, The University of Melbourne. The deadline for paper proposals is Monday 29 June 2015. Students undertaking higher degree research are encouraged to submit offers of ‘work in progress’ papers; some travel bursaries will be available.