Past conferences

BSANZ Annual Conference 2022: Embellished

Conference Webpage: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/research-and-engagement/embellished

The BSANZ Annual Conference 2022: Embellished was held in conjunction with the State Library of New South Wales on location and online from Monday 28 to Tuesday 29 November, 2022. 

The program explored the concept of embellishment in all its forms, be that the embellishing of the physical object, the presentation of that object to the public or the truth that surrounds the object or its creator. 

The illustrious keynote speakers were: 

 – Michelle P. Brown, FSA, Professor Emerita of Medieval Manuscript Studies, University of London (School of Advanced Study)

 – Peter Lyssiotis – writer, maker of films, photographs, photomontages, prints and books. (See video of his presentation below)

Attendees were engaged by the presentations of 27 learned Society members on the themes:

Readers embellishing pages
The Emmerson collection
Art of embellishment
Embracing embellishment
Embellished words 
Reading, listing and collecting the embellished
Scholarly editing
Early embellishments
Types of embellishment 

The BSANZ thanks the Conference Organising Committee for a splendid occasion that was the highlight of the scholarly book year: 

  • Chair: Maggie Patton, Manager, Research & Discovery, State Library of NSW
  • Dr Rachel Franks, Coordinator, Scholarship, State Library of NSW
  • Rebekah Ward, PhD Candidate and Sessional Academic, Western Sydney University
  • Sarah Morley, Curator, research & Discovery, State Library of NSW
  • Simon Farley, Vice-President BSANZ, Fryer Librarian, The University of Queensland
  • Paige Wright, Special Collections Librarian at University of Newcastle Library

Our warmest thanks to the presenters who agreed to share videos of their presentations below:

2021 conference

Communities, books and the power of words

The conference will be hosted online from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand on 22-23 November 2021.

For all up-to-date information and registration, visit the conference website: www.bsanz2021.org/ .

We are thrilled to announce our keynote speakers: Dr Hirini Kaa, of Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu and Rongowhakaata, an historian and Anglican minister, and Dr Sarah Werner, book historian and digital media scholar. Read more here.

  • The History of the Book and the Future of the World. Adelaide, 30 November – 2 December 2020
  • Tradition and Innovation: Readers, Books and Libraries. Melbourne, 28-29 November 2019 (PDF programme)
  • BSANZ 50 Years Commemoration. Melbourne, 26 February 2019 (PDF programme)
  • Marginalia: Bibliography at the Margins. Brisbane, 29-30 November 2018 (PDF programme).
  • Connecting the Colonies: Empires and Networks in the History of the Book. Hobart, 22-24 November 2017 (PDF programme).
  • Local Bibliography—The Deepening Stream. Hamilton. 21-22 November, 2016 (PDF draft programme).
  • Turning the Pages. Melbourne, 2015 (PDF programme).
  • Bibliographica. Canberra, 26-28 November 2014 (PDF programme).
  • Bibliography in the Digital Age. Sydney, 20-22 November 2013 (PDF programme).
  • Thinking Through Books. Dunedin, 14-17 November 2012 (PDF programme).
  • Textual Manipulation. Adelaide, 3-4 November 2011.
  • To Deprave and Corrupt: Forbidden, Hidden and Censored Texts. Melbourne, 14-16 July 2010 (PDF programme).
  • The Limits of the Book. Brisbane, 20-22 July 2009.
  • The European Book in the Antipodes. Sydney, 2-3 November 2008.
  • Spaces of Print: Exploring the History of Books. Hobart, 15-17 November 2007.
  • Leaving Impressions, Planting Ideas. Adelaide, 23-24 October 2006.
  • Paradise: New Worlds of Books and Readers. Wellington, 27-30 January 2005.
  • Hunters and Gatherers: Building Collections of Books. Melbourne, 16 October 2004.
  • Expanding Horizons: Print Cultures Across the South Pacific. Dunedin, 10 September 2002.
  • Art, Genius and Madness. Adelaide, 27-28 September 2001.
  • Bibliographica 2000. Melbourne, 16 November 2000.
  • Bibliography, Mystery, and Detection. Brisbane, 8-10 July 1999.
  • Bibliographica 1998. Melbourne, 13 November 1998.