Associate Professor Sam Bowker is set for a six-lecture series at the CSU Playhouse about the history, future and importance of books. Photo: Supplied.
The history of books and literature is a sophisticated one.
Many believe The Epic of Gilgamesh to be the first book ever written. The Bible is the most sold book of all time, and today, you don’t even have to read a book to consume it.
All of these points and many more are set to be addressed as part of a six-lecture series by Associate Professor Sam Bowker of Charles Sturt University and Booranga Writers’ Centre as he explores the history and artistry of books from the past, present and future.
With a weekly lecture to be held at 5:30 pm at the CSU Playhouse, Professor Bowker will discuss these topics:
Thursday 31 July – The Book: History and Artistry.
Thursday 7 August – European Illumination.
Thursday 14 August – Arabic and Persian Manuscripts.
Thursday 21 August – Incunabula! Rise of Printed Books.
Thursday 28 August – Picturebooks, Comics and Manga.
Thursday 4 September – The Future of the Book.
Associate Professor Bowker said in a time when funding for arts and performance in Wagga are under a cloud, he was excited to give a detailed history on a topic as important and relevant as books.
“I like to think of these lectures as a book club where you don’t have to read the books because I’ve already done it for you,” he said.
“It’s basically a celebration of everything that books give us and the artistry and history of bookmaking.”
Sam Bowker is known as a gifted speaker. Photo: Doctor Jacquie Tinkler.
The talks will look at the way books have changed across time and the value of books for us as a society.
“We’re looking at the imagination of things that have been made, which people may never have seen before, and the relationships we have with books through libraries, book dealers, antiquarians and the infamous book breakers who felt it was better to own a piece of history than to leave history intact,” he said.
Associate Professor Bowker said the delivery of information through books was as important today as it was centuries ago.
“Ultimately, every important piece of information ends up in a book,” he said.
“We’re looking at books as a system that is proven to last a very long time, to be accessible across time and languages, to be meaningful in many ways beyond the knowledge retained in the book, but the physicality of the book, the way the book is made, it tells us something about who we are as a people.
“Books are amazing. Books are important. Books are beautiful in their complexity and their history, and so are their writers. And this public lecture series is about the writers of Wagga.
“Booranga Writers’ Centre has been supporting Riverina writers for over 35 years, and in creating a space for new books to be written and new work to be shared, commented upon and developed.
“It’s also a tribute to the person who started this for all for us, who is Dr Sue Wood. She created the class Art and Books at Charles Sturt University in 2000. This is the 25th anniversary, and it’s a recognition of her ongoing work with our arts community that we are hosting this public lecture series in her honour.”
The weekly lectures will commence from 31 July at the CSU Playhouse. You can get your tickets via the Civic Theatre website.
