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Part of
A Comparative History of the Literary Draft in Europe
Edited by Olga Beloborodova and Dirk Van Hulle
[Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages XXXV] 2024
► pp. 35–46

1.1.2
Early modern holograph manuscripts

English literary manuscripts, 1450–1700

Early modern holograph manuscripts are particularly well served by Peter Beal’s online Catalogue of English Literary Manuscripts, 1450–1700. Using this resource, it is possible to study the autograph literary manuscripts of 236 named authors. The question of whether their holographs are drafts or fair copies is by no means always certain. Different sorts of manuscripts, the forms they take, and the occasions on which they were written are described and particular attention is paid to those by women. While often relying on professional scribes to produce fair copies, writers themselves tended to like revising those manuscripts, as well as to revise and correct their own autograph fair copies.
Keywords: manuscript, autograph, holograph, fair copy, scribes, Peter Beal, CELM
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References (11)
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