When you think of Early Modern writing, you probably picture a white man sitting alone in a room, with a single candle lighting his work. However, the reality of Early Modern writing was much more diverse, and these manuscripts reflect the diversity of the individuals and culture that created them.

Collaboration, not solitary genius, shaped much of Early Modern literature. From the Devonshire Manuscript’s blended voices to the co-authored plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, these texts challenge our modern fixation on individual authorship. Rethinking co-authorship reveals hidden contributions, especially by women, and offers new ways to understand authorship, authority, and academic credit today.

I was fortunate to be able to attend the inaugural conference of the newly founded Hong Kong Association for Digital Humanities. The conference was hosted by Javier Cha of Hong Kong University and Vincent Leung of Lignan University, and it was held on HKU’s Centennial campus this January. Because Hong Kong is a vertical city,… | Read on »