The Bibliographical Society of America invites you to attend its Birth of the Bestseller conference next March. This innovative event will gather p articipants from around the world and from a wide range of disciplines, including art history, literary history, and cultural studies. Together we will explore the terrain of 19th-century bestsellers and consider how they came to dominate the public imagination.

The 19th century witnessed enormous changes in the world of books. The rise of a mass readership, the invention of machine-driven technologies, new reproduction methods, and an astonishing variation in literature, authorship, publishing, periodicals, printing, typography, illustration, marketing, taste, and design all made the 19th century an era of intense complexity. Despite growing interest in this period, many of its aspects remain largely unstudied. This three-day conference offers numerous short papers and lectures by five distinguished speakers: John Sutherland, Petra ten-Doesschate Chu, Marie E. Korey, Michael Winship, and Margaret D. Stetz.

Registration
Registration for all participants is a modest $40 per person. This fee covers all sessions, receptions, and coffee/tea breaks.

Accommodations
Registrants are invited to enjoy the “Grolier Club” rate of $180 per night (not including tax) at the Roger Smith Hotel , 501 Lexington Avenue at 47th Street , New York , NY 10017 , 800.445.0277. This special rate pertains to standard rooms, single or double occupancy. Lower rates may be available at the Roger Smith Hotel by booking directly online at: www.rogersmith.com .

Birth of the Bestseller is organized by the Bibliographical Society of America with leadership from the Grolier Club of New York , the Morgan Library & Museum, and the Fales Library , New York University, and with the collaboration of the Museum of Biblical Art . The project is made possible by the New York Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. Generous financial support has also been provided by the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, Bauman Rare Books ( New York ), Kelmscott Books (Baltimore), 19th Century Shop ( Baltimore ), and Ursus Books ( New York ).