A great looking upcoming event at the British Library -- Manuscripts Still Matter (Mon 30 Apr 2012, 09.00 - 18.00, Conference Centre, British Library £20).
Manuscripts Still Matter is the second conference of the UK Literary Heritage Working Group. The highly acclaimed first conference Manuscripts Matter, held in 2006, focused on collecting modern literary archives and included discussion about the loss of British archives to overseas buyers and the perspectives of institutions, dealers and creators of archives. Now, Manuscripts Still Matter will consider the situation for archival institutions, archive creators and a broad range of users given the changing financial and political climate since.
The day will begin with discussion of the situation for literary archives since 2005 and later sessions will consider the archives sector as a whole. The programme includes a session on the use of archives by the Creative Industries, which will include the British Library's Artist in Residence, Christopher Green, and discussion of funding of the heritage sector with the Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Carole Souter, and others. An in conversation session with the poet, Wendy Cope and former Poet Laureate, Sir Andrew Motion, will consider the feelings of writers and poets on using archives, and seeing their own papers archived. Finally the programme will include a series of short presentations on different literary archive collections designed to demonstrate the vibrancy of the UK archives and manuscripts sector that the Working Group wishes to champion.
Conference fee includes a buffet lunch and refreshments.