To honor the work of Elizabeth J. Bryan on Lawman and the English prose Brut, this session focuses on the collaborative nature of Brut texts.  By examining both literal collaborations between scribes, illuminators, and compilers, and collaboration broadly conceived, as between readers of Brut texts or between texts and editors to derive meaning, for instance, papers in the session will offer insight into the intricacies of the production and reception of Brut manuscripts.  Papers will advance conversations that, in Professor Bryan’s words, “make room in our critical model for the multiple participants of a manuscript text” (Collaborative Meaningxiv).

To facilitate discussion of collaboration and its effect our reading and understanding of premodern texts, the session seeks papers focusing on paleographic and codicological matters related to Brut manuscripts, including Lawman and the English prose Brut.  We especially welcome proposals that examine such issues as collaborative textuality, problems with fixing a “standard” preprint text, the role of extratextual features such as illuminations and historiated letters in conditioning interpretation, concerns with digitalizing medieval manuscripts, and also works that address the theme of collaboration, such as the textual communities that read and respond to the texts.

This is a hybrid session, with online and in-person proposals considered.  Please submit proposals to https://icms.confex.com/icms/2025/paper/papers/index.cgi?sessionid=6321

For additional information, please contact

Ken Tiller

Professor English 

Director, Center for Medieval-Renaissance Studies

University of Virginia-Wise

kjt9t@uvawise.edu