In July 2024 we welcomed 18 students from all over the world. In this summer school, experts from multiple backgrounds analyzed and explained the meaning of gender and gender identity as a relevant methodological framework in book history, both in the early modern period and in more recent centuries, when the industrial revolution profoundly changed the production of books.
Students immersed themselves in books made by or for women, focusing on research questions, sources and methods. Most lectures were interactive sessions, often starting from specific cases presented in Antwerp’s rich heritage institutions. In an unparalleled private collection, participants experienced what it meant to operate different printing presses before and after the industrial revolution. On the last day, they met a contemporary (female) author of illustrated children’s books.