Writing surrounds us in the modern world - but how did it develop into the systems we use today, and given the technological developments of the twenty-first century, what does its future hold?

This beautifully illustrated book, published to coincide with an interactive landmark British Library exhibition, celebrates the act of writing from across the globe. Exploring the history of writing and including more than 150 illustrations from carved stone inscriptions and medieval manuscripts to samples of early printing, modern handwriting and digital inputting systems, it reflects on the use of writing over the last 5,000 years and challenges our preconceptions about writing's decline in the digital age.