manuscript cultures

About manuscript cultures

Manuscript cultures is the peer-reviewed, open access journal of the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC). It aims at presenting new approaches to the study of written artefacts that benefit from the insights offered by the humanities, natural sciences and information sciences and the collaboration between them. Focussing on the ‘written artefact’, the journal seeks to challenge and transcend the restrictive definition of manuscript as ‘the handwritten book’ by including epigraphs, archival documents, graffiti and any other product of handwriting.

Manuscript cultures welcomes contributions that study written artefacts from all regions and periods. In particular, it promotes comparative approaches to written artefacts across geographic, cultural, and temporal spheres, as well as traditional disciplinary boundaries, that contribute to a larger historical and global survey of the role of written artefacts in ancient and modern cultures. In doing so, manuscript cultures provides a new foundation for ongoing discussions in the broad field of cultural studies.

Initially established as the newsletter of the research group ‘Manuscript Cultures in Asia and Africa’ in 2008, manuscript cultures was transformed into a scholarly journal in 2011. Since Spring 2024, manuscript cultures has been hosted online by Hamburg University Press. All previous issues can be found on the CSMC website. A print version is published by the CSMC.

Manuscript cultures has a multi-disciplinary editorial team and advisory board. The journal publishes two issues a year, including one thematic issue. All articles are published online throughout the year as soon as they are ready for publication. The print version is published annually.