Pg. 99: Sara J. Charles's "The Medieval Scriptorium"

Featured at the Page 99 Test: The Medieval Scriptorium: Making Books in the Middle Ages by Sara J. Charles.

About the book, from the publisher:

Illuminated with illustrations, an exploration of medieval manuscript production that offers insight into both the early history of the book and life in the Middle Ages.

This book takes the reader on an immersive journey through medieval manuscript production in the Latin Christian world. Each chapter opens with a lively vignette by a medieval narrator—including a parchment maker, scribe, and illuminator—introducing various aspects of manuscript production. Sara J. Charles poses the question “What actually is a scriptorium?” and explores the development of the medieval scriptorium from its early Christian beginnings through to its eventual decline and the growth of the printing press.

With the written word at the very heart of the Christian monastic movement, we see the immense amount of labor, planning, and networks needed to produce each manuscript. By tapping into these processes and procedures, The Medieval Scriptorium helps us to experience medieval life through the lens of a manuscript maker.

Learn more about The Medieval Scriptorium at the Reaktion Books website.

The Page 99 Test: The Medieval Scriptorium.

--Marshal Zeringue