Of Victorian Interest

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Of Victorian Interest

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Event: Decoding Dickens: Contexts, Inspirations, Approaches (5/21/2021)

Organisers: Dr Claire Wood (University of Leicester) and Professor Hugo Bowles (University of Foggia)

21 May 2021, 2pm-6.40pm (BST)

An online networking symposium that introduces the ‘savage stenographic mystery’ of Dickens’s shorthand and the challenges of deciphering unusual scripts

Join the organisers on 21 May to explore Charles Dickens's mysterious shorthand writing and its place within a little-known stenographic culture.

  • Learn about the history of shorthand from the seventeenth century through to the nineteenth, as well as Dickens's struggles to master Gurney's Brachygraphy.
  • Try your hand at decoding Dickens's shorthand (optional pre-symposium task).
  • Hear from curators about fascinating shorthand manuscripts in their collections.
  • Engage with a range of inspirational digital humanities projects through case studies presented by 'Dickens Code' network members.
  • Reflect upon the challenges of decoding one of Dickens's undeciphered shorthand scripts and hear about approaches rooted in Informatics and Forensic Linguistics.
  • Contribute to conversations about how we can involve people in the decoding process - and ultimately crack the 'Dickens Code'!

 This free event is open to all with an interest in Dickens, stenography, word puzzles, and digital humanities. It is part of the AHRC-funded 'Dickens Code' project. To book your free place, please visit here.

 The full programme can be found here.

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