Presented at On the Margins 22 (15 December 2022), organised by the Open University and the School of Advanced Study. Proposes the explicit connection between the fields of book history and digital humanities.

1. Leah Henrickson
University of Leeds
L.R.Henrickson@leeds.ac.uk
EDGES OF
T
H
E
D
I
G
I
T
A
L
E
C
K
L
I
N
G
T
H

2. Image: https://spearswms.com/deckle-edge-books-defence-leith

3. Images: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2016.1171458 (Martin Grandjean); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1HDQKiOvkE; https://bhilluminated.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/book-history-circuit

4. 'We are used to sequential writing, and so we come easily to
suppose that writing is intrinsically sequential. It need not be and
should not be. There are two outstanding arguments for breaking
away from sequential presentation. One is that it spoils the unity
and structure of interconnection. The other is that it forces a single
sequence for all readers which may be appropriate for none.'
Theodor Holm Nelson. 1987. Literary Machines, edition 87.1. Published by the author, p. 1/14.

5. 'A map cannot save the traveller from all dangers
that may beset his path. It may save him from some;
it also offers him the promising opportunity of pointing out
its errors when he returns home, safe and sound.'
Thomas R. Adams and Nicolas Barker. 1993. A New Model for the Study of the Book. In A Potencie of Life: Books in Society, ed. by Nicolas Barker. The British Library, London, 5-43 (39).
The 'maps' that book history provides – however incomplete they
may be – may offer 'promising opportunity' for DH as the field
continues navigating the rough terrain of the deckle edge.

6. HAT
ARE
WDOING WHAT ARE WE
DOING
WHA
How might we embrace the intertwingularity of
book history and digital humanities research?
Of conceptions of the 'past', 'present', and 'future'?
How might we celebrate our 'deckle edge' identities?
Challenge those identities?

7. Leah Henrickson
University of Leeds
L.R.Henrickson@leeds.ac.uk