The Dictionary of Lost Words

Join us for the July book club where we will discuss The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams.

Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme begins to collect words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men. Over time, she realizes that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men.

Book club will begin with a showcase of early and important dictionaries, followed by a discussion of the book.

Free and open to all, registration required.