The Unbound Book | The conventional notion of the book, based on centuries of print, has grown outdated. The book is coming unbound, freed from the bindings of the printed volume and from the limitations of conventional text. How will today’s multimedia content and online modes of authorship offer entirely new vistas of book-like functions? How should we preserve vital features of conventional print? How will the chain from author to reader develop?

Left without obvious contours, the entire concept of ‘bookness’ needs reinvention. Cultural forces must step in to design and develop future models for learning, publishing, and design. The Unbound Book Conference, the largest in scope in The Netherlands to date, brings together researchers, publishers, librarians and designers from around the world to take part in defining this rapidly changing landscape.

Featuring: Arianne Baggerman (University of Amsterdam), James Bridle (booktwo.org, London), Florian Cramer (Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam), Gary Hall (Coventry University, UK), Suzanne Holtzer (De Bezige Bij publishers, NL), Liz McGettigan (Library Edinburgh Council), Miha Kovac (University of Ljubljana), Tomas Krag (Booksprint, Copenhagen), Veljko Kukulj (Geanium, Croatia), Alan Liu (UC Santa Barbara), Anne Mangen (Stravanger University, Norway), Bernhard Rieder (University of Amsterdam), Ray Siemens (University of Victoria, CA), Femke Snelting (Open Source Publishing, Brussels), Nicholas Spice (London Review of Books), Bob Stein (Institute for the Future of the Book, NY), Simon Worthington (Mute Magazine, London), Frank van Amerongen (ThiemeMeulenhoff publishers, NL), and more.

Also featuring the book launches of the Institute of Network Culture’s new publication Critical Point of View: a Wikipedia Reader (20 May, Koninklijke Bibliotheek) and the Graphic Design Museum’s new publication I Read Where I Am (21 May, Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam).

Editorial team: Morgan Currie (Institute of Network Cultures), Joost Kircz (Hogeschool van Amsterdam), Geert Lovink (Institute of Network Cultures), Bas Savenije (Dutch National Library), Adriaan van der Weel (University of Leiden)

The Unbound Book is an Initiative of CREATE-IT Applied research centre at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, the Book and Digital Media Studies at the University of Leiden, and the Institute of Network Cultures.