Books and their users: material, critical, and digital approaches

a one-day seminar for students and early career researchers
Tuesday 9 February 2027, 10am – 6pm
Te Herenga Waka- Victoria University of Wellington

This one-day seminar will take place at the Kelburn campus of Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, on the day before the ANZSA conference opens. You will have the opportunity to work hands-on with early modern books from the university collection, and to take part in seminars on book ownership, and on critical approaches to texts in the medieval and early modern periods. The seminar is tailored towards postgraduate and early career researchers, and we hope to be able to offer travel bursaries to assist with the cost of attendance. Of course, we hope you will stay on for the ANZSA conference!

Seminar leaders:

  • Anthony Tedeschi, National Library of New Zealand, in the special collections at Victoria University of Wellington
  • Dr Hannah August, Massey University and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Oxford, on ‘Owners and users of early modern books, past and present’
  • Professor Vanessa Corredera, Baylor University
  • And a book talk from Professor Nandini Das on This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart England (Bloomsbury, 2026)

Apply to anzsa2027@gmail.com with ‘Books and their Users’ in the subject line before the closing date of Friday 27 November 2027.

Please provide:

  • a 150-word bio, including details of your postgraduate/ECR status if relevant
  • a 150-word statement indicating the interest of the seminar to your own work
  • an indication of whether you would like to be considered for a travel bursary to attend the ‘Books and their Users’ seminar, including a) information on your student/ECR status; b) whether you have access to institutional support for travel to the seminar; and c) where you will be travelling from