Global Circulations: Annuals and Pocket Books on the Move International symposium, Caen Normandie University, 26-27 November 2026

As part of the Punch’s Pocket Book Archive project, Caen Normandie University is organising an international symposium, in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University, entitled “Global Circulations – Annuals and Pocket Books on the Move”. It will take place on 26 and 27 November 2026.

Early almanacs were highly mobile objects. They were often calculated for precise locations, sold unbound and light enough to be rolled up “fit for one’s pocket”. By the nineteenth century, almanacs, pocket books, gift books and other annuals appeared in a wide variety of formats for different readerships. They circulated texts and images across countries and continents, and sometimes carried ideologies with them. As transport networks expanded, many of these publications were designed for a mobile readership.

The symposium examines the routes taken by these annual publications and their contents throughout the long nineteenth century (1780-1914). Papers will address publishing and translation in colonial contexts, travel and investigation, Punch’s Pocket Book, collections and transcontinental circulation. Most are in English.

Programme highlights

The programme is organised around four panels: Print Networks, Translation and Colonialism; Journeys and Investigations; Crossing Borders and Continents; and Words and Swords. It includes two keynote lectures:

• Dr Gordon Fraser (University of Manchester) will explore how ideas move across time, geography and culture.
• Amanda-Jane Doran, former Head of Collections and Conservation for Punch Publications Ltd and Curator of the Punch Collection from 1984 to 1998, will trace the life, times and travels of the Punch Collection.

On the afternoon of 26 November, participants can join an optional tour of the university library. It includes the conservation and bookbinding studio and an exhibition of almanacs and ephemera from local collections.

Practical information

The symposium will be held at Caen Normandie University, in the Salle du Belvédère on 26 November and in the MRSH lecture theatre on 27 November. Registration is required via https://circulations-26.sciencesconf.org/.

Partners: HisTeMé, the CaeSAR project, Manchester Metropolitan University, Punch’s Pocket Book Archive, the MRSH (Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Humaines) and the ANR.