Book History

I am a book collector with a long-standing interest in the history of books. I have written a couple of short pieces in this area and organized two exhibitions in Oxford.

A while ago now, I published a short note on Aldus Manutius and the Aristotelian Commentators (available here). On the same topic I organized a small exhibition of early printed books at Wolfson College, Oxford in December 2012, in conjunction with a conference devoted to the ancient commentators on Aristotle. I prepared a short text about the books on display, which has been published in the Bodleian Library Record  (preprint here).

In May-June 2013 I organized a small display in the Proscholium of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, devoted to Stoicism and its Legacy. I also gave a public lecture on the reception of Stoicism, which was recorded and is available as a podcast.

My own collecting unsurprisingly focuses on the history of philosophy with a particular focus on Stoic authors and Stoic-related items. My general approach is 'the older the better'. I have written about my own collecting in The Book Collector (preprint here) and have been interviewed at the Fine Books & Collections magazine website.

In 2017 I attended the London Rare Book School, run by the Institute of English Studies at Senate House, focusing on medieval manuscripts. I wrote a short note about it here. In September 2018 I arranged for Senate House Library to put on a display of Stoic-related items to coincide with Stoicon.

​I am a member of the Bibliographical Society and the Oxford Bibliographical Society.
Picture
Stoicism and its Legacy, Bodleian Library, Oxford 2013
Picture
Ancient Commentators on Aristotle, Wolfson College, Oxford 2012
Picture
Stoicism, Senate House Library, London 2018