20th August 1999

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Book lovers from all over Ireland and Britain will be heading for Coleraine next week when the University of Ulster's The History of the Irish Book team are be holding a one-day get-together

The theme of the meeting is 'Overlapping Boundaries' which reflects the overlapping and interaction that has been a feature of the book culture of Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales, since the earliest times.

This event provides an unrivalled opportunity for anyone interested in the book history of these islands to hear what the experts think about books at a time when some people hold the view that computers have replaced paper and the printing press. Of course, the real situation is much more complicated than that, and it may be that the computer has given a new lease of life to the study of the book.

Ireland's book culture was the earliest in Europe outside of Greece and Rome.

The Irish book project is headed by Professor Robert Welch at Coleraine, Professor Brian Walker at Queen's, and Dr. Anne McCartney at Coleraine. They will be hosting the teams involved in the book histories of England, Scotland, and Wales, headed by Professor John Barnard, Dr. Bill Bell, Dr. Philip Jones, and Professor Robin Alston.

Book history is a new and fast-growing research field and the University of Ulster and its partner Queen's is at the forefront in this jointly managed venture.

The Irish book history will be compiled over the next four years and will be published in five volumes by Oxford. University Press.

Anyone interested in books and their history is welcome to join this colloquium. Attendance at the all day event costs £10, and includes coffee and refreshments

29 August 1999
Room T016, Cave Hill Building
University of Ulster,
Coleraine

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk