Launching 'The Illustrated Cairo Genizah' in Cambridge

Yesterday evening, Nick Posegay and I stood in Heffers Bookshop before a supportive crowd of family, friends, and Genizah enthusiasts to speak about and officially launch 'The Illustrated Cairo Genizah'. The book marks the Genizah Research Unit's 50th anniversary, and celebrates the increasing public interest in the Genizah collection. It showcases over 300 of the Genizah's more eye-catching fragments, in 12 thematic chapters (Highlights, Bible & Judaism, Sketches & Illustrations, Letters, Magic, Science & Medicine, Arabic & Islam, Documents, Ketubbot, Education, Bookmaking & Scribal Arts, and Printing). At the book launch, Nick and I each discussed some of our favourite manuscripts, the process of writing and organising the book, and fielded audience questions – on the 'Judaeo-' languages of the Genizah that mix script and language, the impact of the digitisation of the manuscripts, and if there's anything left (while nothing is left in the original Genizah chamber now, there's plenty left to be done on the manuscripts!). It was also an opportunity to thank and recognise the organisations that supported the work on the book (the Leverhulme Trust and the Second Joseph Aaron Littman Foundation) and the practical support offered by our Genizah Research Unit colleagues Ben Outhwaite and Sarah Sykes. Many thanks to everyone who attended!

The book launch went almost without a hitch – the only blood drawn was a severe paper cut injury that left Nick needing medical attention.

800 copies arrived in Cambridge a few weeks ago, having travelled by container ship from Hong Kong.

The book is now available to buy in person at Cambridge University Library's shop. It can also be ordered online (https://linktr.ee/CambridgeGRU), and will soon be available in Heffers Bookshop too.