Central to the current activities of the Book History Research Group is the United Kingdom Reading Experience Database project. UK RED catalogues the evidence of reading left by British readers at home (and abroad) as well as visitors to Britain from 1450 to 1945. An open access database, it has over 30,000 unique entries offering valuable insights into reading practices through the ages. You can find out more about UK RED here. Professor Bob Owens (The Open University), Professor Simon Eliot (IES, University of London), Professor Alexis Weedon (University of Bedfordshire), Dr Stephen Colclough (University of Wales, Bangor) and Dr Mary Hammond (University of Southampton) have been central to the development of the UK RED project, and they remain involved with it as members of the project management group. Supported by an additional AHRC grant and with the participation of several members of the research group, UK RED is currently working towards establishing an integrated international digital network in the history of reading, with partners in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Pages from the diary of Charles Morrison (1817-1909) from May 1886 held in a private collection. © Shafquat Towheed (2008), reproduced with the kind permission of Lord Margadale
The Group undertakes a range of different activities and events during each academic year. These include conferences, symposia, and seminars (more details below). The Group is a member of the Centre for Manuscript and Print Studies, based at the Institute of English Studies (IES), School of Advanced Study, University of London, and actively contributes to the research culture of the IES. The Book History Research Group also collaborates with other research groups within the Open University to organise joint events, such as the Criminal Book History Day, co-organised with the Crime Research Group in the History Department, or the forthcoming Romantic Book day symposium, co-organised with the Romantic Period Research Group in the English Department.