The Written Word in the Medieval Arabic Lands : A Social and Cultural History of Reading Practices

#### Winner of the 2012 BRISMES book prize **How the written text became accessible to wider audiences in medieval Egypt and Syria** Medieval Islamic societies belonged to the most bookish cultures of their period. Using a wide variety of documentary, narrative and normative sources, Konrad Hirschler explores the growth of reading audiences in a pre-print culture. The uses of the written word grew significantly in Egypt and Syria between the 11th and the 15th centuries, and more groups within society started to participate in individual and communal reading acts. New audiences in reading sessions, school curricula, increasing numbers of endowed libraries and the appearance of popular written literature all bear witness to the profound transformation of cultural practices and their social contexts. **Key Features** * A detailed and wide-ranging analysis of reading in the period * Explores the key themes of literacy, orality and aurality * Examines the accessibility and profile of libraries * Looks at popular reading practices, often associated with the notion of the illicit The Middle East Was One Of The Most Literate Civilizations During The High And Late Medieval Period And Home To Bustling Book Markets, Voluminous Libraries And Sophisticated Book Production. After The 'paper Revolution' Of The 9th And 10th Centuries The Number Of Books And The Availability Of The Written Word Increased Dramatically. In The Scholarly World The Written Word Played An Increasingly Prominent Role And Reading Was Taken Up By Wider Sections Of The Population. This Book Discusses The History Of Reading In The High And Late Medieval Period In The Middle East In Depth. It Offers A Detailed And Wide-ranging Analysis Of The Period, Exploring The Key Themes Of Literacy/orality/aurality, The Teaching Of Reading Skills In Schools, And The Accessibility And Profile Of Libraries, As Well As Popular Reading Practices, Often Associated With The Notion Of The Illicit. This Much-needed Overview Of The History Of Reading Places The Emphasis On The Combination Of Cultural And Social History And Provides A Depth Of Historical Insight To The Gradual Development Of Reading Practices Over The Centuries. On The Basis Of Documentary Sources And Medieval Illustrations The Book Shows In What Ways New Groups In The Arabic Speaking Lands, Especially Craftsmen And Traders, Started To Read And To Participate In The Written Culture Between The 12th And The 15th Centuries. With This Book The Late And High Medieval Periods Of Middle Eastern History Are Finally Brought Into The Burgeoning Field Of The History Of Reading.--provided By Publisher. Reading And Writerly Culture -- A City Is Reading : Popular And Scholarly Reading Sessions -- Learning To Read : Popularisation And The Written Word In Children's Schools -- Local Endowed Libraries And Their Readers -- Popular Reading Practices. Konrad Hirschler. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 202-227) And Index. Using a variety of documentary, narrative and normative sources, this title explores the growth of reading audiences in a pre-print culture. It examines the accessibility and profile of libraries. It looks at popular reading practices, often associated with the notion of the illicit.