Manchester Centre for Correspondence Studies Lecture- Professor Max Saunders
| Dates: | 11 May 2023 |
|---|
| Times: | 17:30 - 19:15 |
|---|
| What is it: | Lecture |
|---|
| Organiser: | John Rylands Library |
|---|
| Who is it for: | Adults, Current University students, General public |
|---|
| Speaker: | Prof Max Saunders |
|---|
|
The Case for a Writer’s Collected Letters: Ford Madox Ford and the Editing of Modern Correspondence
At a time when the digitization of so many library archives has made it easier to access the original documents, why do we still need letter editions in book form? Producing a complete edition of a writer’s correspondence is likely to be a vast undertaking. What are the justifications for such endeavours, besides obsession or an inability to evaluate?
We'll be joined by Prof Max Saunders for a lecture exploring the project to edit Ford Madox Ford’s collected letters for Oxford University Press. Including material from the John Rylands Library, we'll consider what difference such an edition might make, not only to Ford studies but to modern literary studies more generally. It considers the new insights such editions enable into the chronology, the biography, the relationships, networks, and the careers of writers. It will discuss the different reading experiences offered by different forms of letter collection – whether selected, or complete, arranged by correspondent.
Finally, it will introduce MoLEs – a new network for Modern Letter Editing, which was developed from the realization that while the theory of editing modern printed texts has been elaborated and hotly contested in recent decades, there has been little comparable theoretical work devoted to the editing of letters. The Ford project has pioneered a Manual for modern letter editors, which will be developed further with the MoLE network to provide a reference guide for future letter editors.
Join us from 5.30pm for a drinks reception at the Rylands. The lecture will include an audience Q&A
Introduced by Dr Howard Booth, Senior Lecturer in English and American Studies and member of the Manchester Centre for Correspondence Studies
To book your free ticket please follow the link
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-centre-for-correspondence-studies-lecture-prof-max-saunders-tickets-598972501877
Speaker
Prof Max Saunders
Role: Interdisciplinary Professor of Modern Literature and Culture
Organisation: University of Birmingham
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
150 Deansgate
Manchester
Gtr Manchester
