Mary I and the Art of Book Dedications

In this revisionist approach to book history and Marian studies Valerie Schutte argues that manuscript and printed book dedications reveal contemporary perceptions of statecraft, religion, and gender. She offers the first comprehensive catalogue of all book and manuscript dedications to Mary and all books known to have been in Mary's possession.

“Its current printed format is attractive and bright, and it covers an impressively wide range of materials in seven different bibliographic systems. … There is a glossary and short bibliography which includes guides on how to avoid plagiarism. The index is extensive … . this is a useful, accessible book in an increasingly complex area, justifying its subtitle, the essential referencing guide.” (Val Hamilton, Reference Reviews, Vol. 31 (1), 2017)“It provides a thorough catalogue of the book and manuscript dedications to Mary, as well as the books in the queen’s personal library. … An eminently readable and accessible volume, this book is a valuable addition to the existing scholarship on Mary I. … The book also reveals a significant forum by which Mary was both offered instruction, and, in varying degrees, was able to negotiate patronage, politics, and religion.” (Anne Mearns, Royal Studies Journal, Vol. 4 (1), 2017)

Valerie Schutte earned her PhD in History from the University of Akron, USA. She has published two articles on Anne Boleyn, an article on The Merchant of Venice, and articles in the Journal of the Early Book Society and Early Modern Women, both dealing with royal Tudor women and print. She is currently coediting a collection of essays celebrating the five-hundredth birthday of Queen Mary I.