Album verses and romantic literary culture : poetry manuscript print 1780 1850 Will you write in my album Many Romantic poets were asked this question by women who collected contributions in their manuscript books. Those who obliged included Byron Scott Wordsworth and Lamb but also Felicia Hemans Amelia Opie and Sara Coleridge. Album Verses and Romantic Literary Culture presents the first critical and cultural history of this forgotten phenomenon. It asks a series of questions. Where did 1820s albo mania come from and why was it satirized as a womens mania What was the relation between visitors books associated with great institutions and country houses personal abums belonging to individuals and the poetry written in both What caused albums re gendering from earlier friendship books kept by male students and 0gentlemen on the Grand Tour to a feminized practice identified mainly with young women When albums were central to womens culture why were so many published album poems by men How did amateur and professional poets engage differently with albums What does album cultures privileging of original poetry have to say about attitudes towards creativity and poetic practice in the age of print 0This volume recovers a distinctive subgenre of occasional poetry composed to be read in manuscript with its own characteristic formal features conventions themes and cultural significance. Unique albums examined include that kept at the Grande Chartreuse those owned by Regency socialite Lady Sarah Jersey and those kept by Lake poets daughters. As Album Verses and Romantic Literary Culture shows album poetry reflects changing attitudes to identity gender class politics poetry family dynamics and social relations in the Romantic period