Hackathon 2026
The 2026 Hackathon explores colophons – scribes’ concluding remarks at the end of their copies – within the framework of PAMELA(interdisciplinary research on manuscripts and papyri). Colophons are a paradoxical kind of evidence: they can read like intimate, authentic voices of individual scribes, yet they also follow strong cultural conventions and often rely on highly formulaic language. Precisely because of this tension, they are a key source for book history – while remaining largely invisible in popular and public understandings of written heritage. Once a common element of book culture, colophons are now frequently overlooked, despite having been a near-universal phenomenon across written cultures and regions. Building on a newly created database and descriptive system, the hackathon asks how this material can be meaningfully presented, explored, and communicated to diverse audiences, drawing on results from the synergy of the projects “Done. Pour the wine.” Language Experiments in Medieval Scribal Additions and Colophons and Innovation and Inertia: The End of Medieval Scribes.
To apply please fill the form on https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/cLnytS49Es. Applications deadline: 20:00 GMT, February 20th, 2026.
Praha, National Library of the Czech Republic, I G 40, fol. 118r
Participating Universities
- School of History, Queen Mary University of London
- The University of Cambridge
- Charles University, Prague
- PAMELA Institutions