Authorship in Neo-Latin Literature (C. 1350-C. 1650): On Authorisation and Transmission of Knowledge Via Dedications, Prefaces, Author Portraits and Depictions of Dedication Scenes

This book sheds new light on the question of authorship in Neo-Latin literature. It shows that authorship was not something to be automatically assumed, but was chiefly imparted by the paratextual features of a work, such as letters of dedication, prefaces, and author portraits. This study examines the strategies and tools used by authors to assert their authorial aspirations, which in turn enabled them to incorporate themselves into secular, ecclesiastical, and intellectual power structures.

This is a completely revised English edition of Die Stiftung von Autorschaft in der neulateinischen Literatur (ca. 1350-ca. 1650) (Brill, 2014).