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Lead book review

The magic of manuscripts

Nothing captures medieval life more vividly than a manuscript that has passed through many hands, says Jonathan Sumption

2 October 2021

9:00 AM

2 October 2021

9:00 AM

Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and their Makers Mary Wellesley

Riverrun, pp.454, 25

Manuscripts have something of the appeal of drawings. They bring you closer to the creative process. Even a copy adds something special to the text: an editorial twist, a decorated initial, a margin full of beasts or just a beautiful script in which every letter is fashioned by hand like no other.

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