Discover how Westminster-based printer William Caxton played a vital role in the revolutionary history of the printed word.

Join Dr Michael Durrant and Dr Karen Attar from the University of London as they step back in time to 15th century Westminster to mark the 550th anniversary of William Caxton bringing the printing press to England. Find out how printing has shaped both our language and the way that we consume the written word to this day.

This event is part of our monthly Lunchtime Talk series. On the second Wednesday of every month, join us at St Margaret’s Church for an in-depth exploration of part of the Abbey’s history.

About the Speakers

Dr Michael Durrant is Lecturer in Book History and Programme Convenor for the MA/MRes in the History of the Book at the Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London. His research focuses on early modern print culture, with interests in early modern printers, paratexts, and the material and social lives of books. He is the author of The Dreadful Name of Henry Hills: The Lives and Afterlives of a Seventeenth-Century Printer (Manchester University Press, 2026) and has published on early modern material texts, book use, textual transmission, and literary culture. He is co-editor of the forthcoming Routledge Companion to Book Studies and has worked closely with libraries, archives, and museums on research, teaching, and public engagement.

Dr Karen Attar is the Curator of Rare Books and University Art at Senate House Library, University of London, and was for many years a research fellow at the University’s Institute of English Studies. With Michael Durrant, she co-curated the Library’s exhibition ‘The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond’. She has published widely on the history of libraries and library collections. Her most significant publication is the third edition of the Directory of Rare Book and Special Collections in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (2016).

Description supplied by the event organiser.