1611 Edition of "The Faerie Queene" Part of National Library Week at Duquesne
A rare and valuable edition of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, a landmark work in English literature, will be among the rare books on display at Duquesne University as part of National Library Week.
The 1611 first-edition of The Faerie Queene and Shepheards Calendar, which was printed in London for the bookseller Matthew Lownes, will be one of the books at the center of Of Enduring Value: Rare Books at Duquesne University on Thursday, April 14, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Gumberg Library.
In addition to its age, this edition of The Faerie Queene and Shepheards Calendar also is exceptional in that it marks the first time that Spenser’s primary works were printed together.
“Students and faculty can now study The Faerie Queene in an edition printed just after Spenser’s death,” said Dr. Greg Barnhisel, chair and professor of English in the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts. “They will also be able to see for themselves how much effort and craftsmanship went into putting together a book in the second century of printing.”
Dr. Robert Giannetti, a poet and the former owner of Bob’s Olde Books, an antiquarian bookstore in Lewiston, N.Y., donated the 405-year-old edition to the University last year in honor of his late dissertation advisor, Dr. Foster Provost. Giannetti earned his Ph.D. in English from Duquesne in 1979.
During the April 14 event, Giannetti will join Dr. Danielle St. Hilaire, assistant professor of English and an expert in British Renaissance poetry, to discuss The Faerie Queene.
The program also will feature a discussion about rare books—including a selection from The Rabbi Herman Hailperin Collection at Duquesne—readings and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly remodeled Rare Book Reading Room at Gumberg Library.
Of Enduring Value: Rare Books at Duquesne University is free and open to the public. To RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/ofenduringvalue.
Duquesne University
Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. Duquesne, a campus of nearly 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students, has been nationally recognized for its academic programs, community service and commitment to sustainability. www.duq.edu
