The Reception of Ancient Book Formats in Contemporary Literature
My research, ‘The Reception of Ancient Book Formats in Contemporary Literature’, examines how ancient book formats such as scrolls, codices (early bound books), palimpsests (manuscripts written on and then erased), palm leaves, and tablets persist beyond the invention of the printing press, shaping contemporary literature, art, and technology. I critically assess their discovery, preservation, reception, and reuse, arguing that their reinterpretation challenges narrative styles and informs contemporary discussions on the relationship between text and format, memory, and sustainability.
This study demonstrates the ongoing relevance of ancient book forms in shaping contemporary engagements with information, addressing challenges like digital obsolescence, ecological publishing, and the long-term preservation of cultural memory. It aims to provide actionable strategies for improving publishing sustainability, preserving digital and physical archives, and ensuring the longevity of cultural memory in the digital age.
This work benefits publishers, librarians, archivists, and cultural heritage professionals seeking resilient preservation methods. It also supports writers, artists, educators, policymakers, and organisations in the technology and business sectors invested in memory preservation, digital publishing and sustainability.
LIST OF PAPERS PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES
- ‘Inscribing the Mind’, CAMC Work-in-Progress, February 2025.
- ‘Remixing Antiquity: Kathleen Fraser’s Textual and Visual Exchange with the Vindolanda Tablets’, HistoryLab Annual Conference, July 2024.
- ‘Carolee Schneemann’s “Interior Scroll”: A Performance of Embodied Memory and Historical Reconstruction’, 24th Annual Joint Postgraduate Symposium on Ancient Drama, University of Oxford’s APGRD and Royal Holloway, University of London, June 2024
- ‘The Reception of Ancient Book Formats in Contemporary Literature’, The Next Generation of Reception Studies at SACRA, University of St Andrews, May 2024.
- ‘Cicero’s De re publica: bridging ancient texts and modern metaphors’, Cicero Awayday, University of Durham, May 2024.
- ‘Disrupting Conventions: Asemic Writing and its Connections to Ancient Textual Forms’, Contemporary Artists Books Conference (CABC), May 2024.
- ‘Asemic Expressions in Contemporary Thought through Visual Language’, Research Capability and Development Conference, Coventry University, April 2024.
- ‘Textual and Visual Interplay of Antiquity in Kathleen Fraser’s m ov a b le TYYPE’, Classical Association Conference, Warwick University, March 2024.
- ‘The Scroll’s Journey through Time’, Going Global Poster Showcase, Coventry University, March 2024.
- Layers Unveiled: Exploring Palimpsests and Unravelling Cicero’s De Republica in Gilbert Augustine Thierry’s novel, The Palimpsest and David Annwn’s poem, ‘Palimpsest’, CAMC Work-in-Progress, January 2024.
- ‘Palaeographic Reconstructions of Archaeological Oddities as Reflected by Narrative in Travis Holland’s The Archivist Story’, Ricerche a Confronto 2023, Italy (Virtual), December 2023
- ‘The Scroll’s Journey through Time’ – Research Café, Coventry University, October 2023
- ‘The Scroll’s Journey through Time’ – IHR (School of Advanced Study, University of London) – History Lab Seminar, October 2023
- Conference Convenor for the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) – History Lab Conference (July 2024 and July 2025)
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
- Graduate teaching assistant and guest lecturer for undergraduate and Master’s courses at the School of Arts and Humanities, Coventry University.