798 Emma Smith and Portable Magic - A History of Books and Their Readers (Revisited)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

History, Arts, Books

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As Jacke and Emma get ready for the History of Literature Podcast Tour, they're revisiting some past interviews with special guests. In this episode, Jacke talks to the University of Oxford's Emma Smith about her book ⁠Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers⁠⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglomerate Network and Lit Hub Radio.
0:08.7	Listen up.
0:09.6	Huh?
0:09.8	That means you.
0:10.7	Yes, you.
0:11.5	We know you're pointing at yourself.
0:13.0	When it comes to Paddy Power Games, we've got a place made for all sorts.
0:16.7	From the experts to the drama queens.
0:19.1	It's me, the JC. The finance bros. Look at those stocks, lads. We'll stick with slots. It's what we're good at. And not forgetting you. Yes, you, the one listening. Because at Patti Power Games, we've got all sorts of games for all sorts of trickles. Eligibility rules and terms and conditions apply. Please campbell responsibly.
0:38.3	Aitin plus Gambleaware.
0:39.3	Getting instant insights is amazing.
0:41.3	But if there are too many data points,
0:43.3	it can be hard to see what works.
0:46.3	So I'll ask my AI assistant for recommendations.
0:49.3	And with PDF spaces in Acrobat Studio,
0:53.3	it's easy to remix documents and transform insights into
0:56.7	standout content, so you can go from Idea to creation in record time, all within an AI-powered
1:02.9	workflow. Do that with Acrobat. Learn more and try it out on Adobe.com. Hello, this is Jack in 2026.
1:12.3	Emma and I are on our way to the airport
1:14.4	for the first ever history of literature podcast tour.
1:18.1	We can't wait.
1:19.6	I'm so exciting.
	...

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