What does an oyster shell have to do with medieval books? This week, Amy explores one of her favourite moments in history: when medieval scribes started to create beautifully illuminated manuscripts.

She’s exploring the complex, multi-faceted and highly skilled work that helped create these works of literature and art. From a stinky parchment creation process to fine pigments and steady hands working by candlelight, making medieval books was far from a simple task, as English Heritage’s Dr Susan Harrison and Dr David Rundle from the University of Kent explain.

Find out about artistry, quiet devotion, cheeky doodling in the margins and how these objects moved from monastic workshops into wider medieval life.

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The birth of medieval manuscripts