Category:Author inscriptions

"An author inscription can be defined as an annotation which is left by the author of a book, but which is not used to express ownership. Instead, it functions as a type of gift inscription, often the result of a book signing, and it is typically accompanied by the name of the recipient, date, and location. However, unlike a gift inscription, the recipient is usually unknown to the author. This is reflected in the formality and generic format of this inscription type (e.g. best wishes, salutations, kindest regards).

Unlike the ownership inscription, the author inscription has a much more recent history, having only emerged in the 19th century amid the Victorian growth in consumerism. Until the early 20th century, the concept of book signings in the modern-day sense did not exist. Instead, book owners typically obtained author inscriptions by contacting publishing houses. This all changed with the invention of the “book tour,” which is generally accredited to Charles Dickens and his 1853 performance of A Christmas Carol to an audience of2,000 people in Birmingham City Hall (Helms, 2014). This event marked the beginning of a new phase in book consumption, whereby authors were expected to promote their book through public lectures and signings."[1]

  1. https://ebrary.net/176685/language_literature/author_inscriptions

Media in category "Author inscriptions"

The following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total.