Our Sea of Islands

This book considers how to conceive of the group of islands known in our time as the British Isles in the Late Middle Ages. Contributions consider possible paths to thinking about late-medieval archipelagism, and in doing so, highlight the inconsistencies and contradictions in medieval (and modern) conceptions of the region. This book considers how to conceive of the group of islands known in our time as the British Isles in the Late Middle Ages. Was the archipelago considered one geographical unit? Was it an it, or were the islands a they? Singular or plural? Contributions consider possible paths to thinking about late-medieval archipelagism, and in doing so, highlight the inconsistencies and contradictions in medieval (and modern) conceptions of the region. Previously published in postmedieval Volume 7, issue 4, December 2016. Matthew Bold Goldie is Professor specialising in Middle English literature at Rider University, USA. Sebastian Sobecki is Professor of Later Medieval literature at the University of Toronto, Canada. This book considers how to conceive of the group of islands known in our time as the British Isles in the Late Middle Ages. Was the archipelago considered one geographical unit? Was it an it, or were the islands a they? Singular or plural? Contributions consider possible paths to thinking about late-medieval archipelagism, and in doing so, highlight the inconsistencies and contradictions in medieval (and modern) conceptions of the region.