How did Johannes Gutenberg turn a lead alloy into gold? Through metal moveable type! Without this and his modified agricultural press we wouldn’t have mass printing - no books, newspapers, pamphlets, treatises, journals… and we wouldn’t have the print literary magazine Brittle Star. This episode, part of the series ‘How to Launch a Literary Magazine in a Global Pandemic’, looks at Gutenberg’s process of making metal type and helps Brittle Star celebrate 20 years of publishing with readings of poetry and short stories in the writers’ own voices. Includes work from Stephanie Limb, Edward Avern, Fawzia Muradali Kane, Janet Hatherley and Maia Elsner.

Researched and hosted by Jacqueline Gabbitas and Martin Parker.

Sources: British Library www.bl.uk; tompainepress.blogsspot.com; ‘Things That Made the Modern Economy’ BBC Sounds www.bbc.co.uk; www.gutenberg.org; ‘How Gutenberg Cast Moveable Type’ Sabrina Huyett YouTube.