UCLA history Prof. Ghislaine Lydon to deliver Schlueter Lecture

Ghislaine Lydon, a professor of history at University of California, Los Angeles, and author of several articles on West Africa, will present the 2025 Paul and June Schlueter Lecture on the Art and History of the Book, Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m. in the Gendebien Room of Skillman Library. 

In her talk, “Africa’s Scriptural Legacy and Its Relevance in World History,” Lydon will trace the connected histories of writing systems, while highlighting the revolutionary nature of script.

Ghislaine Lydon, a professor of history at University of California, Los Angeles. (Contributed photo)

A specialist in the history of Africa with a focus on economic and cultural practices and institutions, she has written on a variety of subjects and is the author of the award-winning On Trans-Saharan Trails: Islamic Law, Trade Networks and Cross-Cultural Exchange in Nineteenth-Century Western Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2011).

“Dr. Lydon’s talk is significant because Africa often gets overlooked in the broader histories of the book, which also include history of writing, reading, and papermaking,” says Ana Ramirez Luhrs, co-director of Special Collections and College Archives.

“Africans are responsible for some of the most remarkable inventions that changed the world,” Lydon says. “Chief among these was the development of writing systems in ancient Egypt. Yet, when considering its historical contributions, Africa’s scriptural legacy tends to be forgotten or ignored.”

The Schlueter Lecture series, held annually in fall, is sponsored by Lafayette College Libraries. June Schlueter, former professor of English, provost, and dean of the faculty, has sponsored the lecture series with her husband, Paul, since 2007, providing opportunities to study books as objects and artifacts. 

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.