White field, black seeds -- who can sow? The riddle refers to the ability to write, a skill which in most Nordic countries was not regarded as necessary for everyone. And yet a significant number of ordinary people with no access to formal schooling took up the pen and produced a variety of highly interesting texts: diaries, letters, memoirs, collections of folklore and hand-written newspapers. This collection presents the work of primarily Nordic scholars from fields such as linguistics, history, literature and folklore studies who share an interest in the production, dissemination and reception of written texts by non-privileged people during the long nineteenth century.

"Care and Conservation of Manuscripts" collects the best contemporary scholarship on the conservation, preservation, and use of historic manuscripts, often engaging issues surrounding the history of books and manuscripts as well. Volume 13 contains over thirty contributions by top scholars in the field. It covers an array of topics, including the conservation of two composite Anselm manuscripts from the twelfth century and the refurbishment of a group of medieval manuscripts in the library of Henry VIII. Richly illustrated, the journal sets a high standard for the study of manuscript preservation and management.