| The Written Word in the Medieval Arabic Lands: A Social and Cultural History of Reading Practices Contributor(s): Hirschler, Konrad (Author) |
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ISBN: 0748677348 ISBN-13: 9780748677344 Publisher: Edinburgh University Press OUR PRICE: $34.15 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 2013 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Middle Eastern - History | Middle East - General - Literary Criticism | Russian & Former Soviet Union |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6.1" W x 9.1" (0.95 lbs) 304 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Russia - Cultural Region - Middle East |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Winner of the 2012 BRISMES book prize. 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. |