Supervision of Books in a Manuscript Culture: Theory and Practice of Censorship in Late Medieval England

Did censorship exist before the invention of the printing press and the Index Librorum Prohibitorum ? This study examines the attempted suppression of written religious and political dissent in pre-Reformation England, with a focus on legal aspects and historical context. A wide range of instruments was in use to discourage the circulation of unwelcome books. They ranged from drastic measures such as executions and public book burnings to more subtle approaches like erasures and reader warnings.