Guernsey's hidden medieval manuscripts reveal a culture of reading

Seventeen fragments of medieval manuscripts found in Guernsey were repurposed as notebook covers, preserving pieces of literature and documents that reveal late medieval island readers preferred French texts (and Latin ones) over English. Discovered in the Island Archives and strongroom, the fragments include works such as the rare French Griselda tale and a poem from L'Estoire de Griseldis, showing that libraries and literary culture existed on Guernsey and illustrating recycled parchment practices long before modern times. The find came via archival work by Callum Tostevin-Hall with scholars Tamara Atkin and David Rundle, transforming our understanding of Guernsey's medieval manuscript culture.