he Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing was founded to create a global network for book historians working in a broad range of scholarly disciplines. Research addresses the composition, mediation, reception, survival, and transformation of written communication in material forms including marks on stone, script on parchment, printed books and periodicals, and new media. Perspectives range from the individual reader to the transnational communications network. With more than 1000 members in over twenty countries, SHARP works in concert with affiliated academic organizations around the world to support the study of book history and print culture.

Latin American Regional Conference!

The Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro will host SHARP's first Latin American regional conference, from 5th to 8th November 2013. More information and links to the CFP on our News page.

SHARP: Digital Humanities Summer Institute

At its 2013 meeting in Philadelphia, the Executive Committee of SHARP agreed to continue its sponsorship of tuition scholarships for the Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI) at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). Several tuition scholarships are now available for paid-up members of SHARP to attend their courses 2-6 June 2014. For details of the courses, please see here. Applications are to be made through the DHSI site here. Students receive a discount on fees, so in the field that asks for ‘Institution / Organization’ please enter either SHARP-Student or SHARP-Non-Student as applicable. DHSI will liaise with SHARP to ensure that membership is up to date. Applicants who are unsuccessful in the scholarship competition might still be eligible for discounts on DHSI tuition fees.

SHARP Conference in Antwerp

The 22nd annual SHARP conference will be held in Antwerp (Belgium), Wednesday 17 September through Sunday 21 September 2014. The program takes place primarily at the University of Antwerp, in the old centre of the city, but includes events at different venues of book historical interest as well as preconference workshops/tours and excursions. The central theme is ‘Religions of the Book’, but in conformity with tradition the conference also welcomes other book historical papers, sessions and round tables. Sponsors include the Plantin-Moretus Museum, the Hendrik Conscience Library, the Flemish House of Literature, the Antwerp Bibliophile Society, the Museum of Letters & Manuscripts, KBC Banking & Insurance, the Flemish Book Historical Society and the University of Antwerp. Please see the CFP for more details or submit a proposal online here.

SHARP in China 2015: ICHS / CISH

As an International Affiliated International Organization of the International Committee on the Historical Sciences, SHARP is in a position to organize three sessions during the week-long conference to be held in Jinan, in Shandong Province of Eastern China, August 24 to 28, 2015. This is a call for papers with a due date of 30 November 2013. More information here.

SHARP-Sponsored Conference in Madrid!

Historia del Libro y Bibliografía en España was held on 3 July 2013 at the Biblioteca Histórica "Marqués de Valdecilla" in Madrid, Spain. This conference offered such fascinating speakers as Antonio Castillo (Universidad de Alcalá), Marina Garone (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Victor Infantes (Universidad Complutense), Alberto Montaner (Universidad de Zaragoza), and Fermín De los Reyes (Universidad Complutense).

Organized by Benito Rial Costas, SHARP's Liaison Oficer for the Iberian Peninsula in cooperation with SHARP and Fermín De los Reyes Gómez (Facultad de Ciencias de la Informatión). For more information, please see the brochure and the program available online.