We live in a textually-mediated world where writing is central to society, its cultural practices and institutions.  Writing has been the subject of much research but it is usually highly visible and valued texts that are studied -- the work of novelists, poets and scholars. The studies included in this book examine every day acts of writing and their significance.  Ordinary quotidian writing may be viewed as mundane and routine, but it is central to how societies operate and the ways individuals relate to each other and to institutions. Examples discussed in the book including