Papyrus (Hardback)

'A literary phenomenon... didactic and daring... elegant and richly digressive.' - Times Literary Supplement

'A very free and very wise and very digressive journey through the world of the book from the creation of the Library of Alexandria to the fall of the Roman Empire; Irene Vallejo has delivered an outstanding, universal and unique book.' - The New York Times

'One can be a masterful philologist and at the same time write like the angels. Irene Vallejo flips communication upside down until she turns her dialogue with the reader into a true literary feast.' - Luis Alberto de Cuenca

'Irene Vallejo has written an incredible, universal, and unique book which will no doubt become a classic.' - Juan Bolea

'It's a joy to read Irene Vallejo's prose, she is such a brilliant creator and full of sensitivity.' - Luis Landero

'A fascinating and profound, yet delightfully personal take on books in the ancient world, with many illuminating insights into more modern literature and life.' - Paul Strathern

'In this fabulous, anecdote-filled history, award-winning Spanish writer Vallejo charts the fates and fortunes of books and libraries in the ancient world... as well as chronicling the thrills and spills of literary culture, she celebrates those whose heroic efforts ensured the continuity of the written word.' - The Bookseller