New Book and Book Launch event - The Web of knowledge (Polity)
Dear all, I am delighted to announce the publication of my new book, *The Web of Knowledge* <https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-web-of-knowledge-encylopedias-and-authority-in-the-digital-age--9780745646282>, by Polity, which is now on general release in the UK (e-book and US edition in April). This book has been a long time coming - stitched together across more than two decades of research, reflection and reinvention. Drawing on media studies, science and technology studies, and digital humanities, *The Web of Knowledge* offers a genealogy of encyclopedic authority that speaks directly to contemporary debates about AI, platform governance, and the future of collective knowledge. It is a book about encyclopedias — but also about the changing conditions under which knowledge becomes legitimate, credible, and governable. *You are cordially invited to my **book launch event on 11 March* <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/digitalhumanitieskcl/2063700> from 6.00 pm, followed by drinks. The event takes place at King’s College London (Strand Campus). Registration details/exact location are in the link. The evening will be a conversation about the histories and challenges of current knowledge ecologies. I will be joined by Professor Emerita *Robin Mansell* <https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/robin-mansell> and Professor *Elena Simperl* <https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/elena-simperl>. I'd love to see any UK AoIR-istas there. Please contact me if you'd like any inspection copies, would like a review, or for anything else. — *Praise* "This fascinating genealogy reveals how encyclopedias - commercial and commons-based - influence the authoritative status of knowledge and why epistemic justice and resistance to biases depend on future choices about who controls the production, credibility, and accessibility of knowledge." *Robin Mansell, London School of Economics and Political Science* "This book shows encyclopedias have been reinvented for the digital age - reshaped by new media, changing institutions, and the politics of knowledge. Must-read!" *Jimmy Wales, Wikimedia Foundation *"With the vast amount of information swirling around us, Giota Alevizou's new book is a crucial guide to how knowledge is being assembled, ordered and mediated, and to the profound consequences these structures have for meaning and knowing." *David Beer, University of York *"What happens to knowledge structures in the digital age? This book is timely, authoritative, and important – encyclopaedic in the best sense of the word." *Caroline Bassett, University of Cambridge* =============== *Dr Giota Alevizou | Lecturer in Digital Humanities & Culture* *Programme co-Director *MA in Digital Futures <https://online.kcl.ac.uk/online-masters/digital-futures-ma#:~:text=The%20Digital%20Futures%20MA%20covers,and%20influence%20the%20digital%20world.> Department of Digital Humanities | King’s College London *Profile* <https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/giota-alevizou>* | **BlueSky* <https://bsky.app/profile/giotita.bsky.social>* | **LinkedIn* <https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-giota-alevizou/> *New publications* Alevizou, G. (2026). *The Web of Knowledge* <https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-web-of-knowledge-encylopedias-and-authority-in-the-digital-age--9780745646282>. Cambridge: Polity
Congrats, Giota! Wonderful to see this book launched. Best, Shani. ---------------------------------- Dr. Shani Evenstein Sigalov Marie Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow & AI-BRIDGES <https://ai-bridges.org> project director Digital Humanities Research Hub School of Advanced Study, University of London. On Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 3:06 PM Giota Alevizou via Air-L < air-l@listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
Dear all,
I am delighted to announce the publication of my new book, *The Web of Knowledge* < https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-web-of-knowledge-encylo...
, by Polity, which is now on general release in the UK (e-book and US edition in April).
This book has been a long time coming - stitched together across more than two decades of research, reflection and reinvention. Drawing on media studies, science and technology studies, and digital humanities, *The Web of Knowledge* offers a genealogy of encyclopedic authority that speaks directly to contemporary debates about AI, platform governance, and the future of collective knowledge. It is a book about encyclopedias — but also about the changing conditions under which knowledge becomes legitimate, credible, and governable.
*You are cordially invited to my **book launch event on 11 March* <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/digitalhumanitieskcl/2063700> from 6.00 pm, followed by drinks. The event takes place at King’s College London (Strand Campus). Registration details/exact location are in the link.
The evening will be a conversation about the histories and challenges of current knowledge ecologies. I will be joined by Professor Emerita *Robin Mansell* <https://www.lse.ac.uk/people/robin-mansell> and Professor *Elena Simperl* <https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/elena-simperl>.
I'd love to see any UK AoIR-istas there.
Please contact me if you'd like any inspection copies, would like a review, or for anything else.
—
*Praise*
"This fascinating genealogy reveals how encyclopedias - commercial and commons-based - influence the authoritative status of knowledge and why epistemic justice and resistance to biases depend on future choices about who controls the production, credibility, and accessibility of knowledge." *Robin Mansell, London School of Economics and Political Science*
"This book shows encyclopedias have been reinvented for the digital age - reshaped by new media, changing institutions, and the politics of knowledge. Must-read!"
*Jimmy Wales, Wikimedia Foundation *"With the vast amount of information swirling around us, Giota Alevizou's new book is a crucial guide to how knowledge is being assembled, ordered and mediated, and to the profound consequences these structures have for meaning and knowing."
*David Beer, University of York *"What happens to knowledge structures in the digital age? This book is timely, authoritative, and important – encyclopaedic in the best sense of the word." *Caroline Bassett, University of Cambridge*
===============
*Dr Giota Alevizou | Lecturer in Digital Humanities & Culture*
*Programme co-Director *MA in Digital Futures < https://online.kcl.ac.uk/online-masters/digital-futures-ma#:~:text=The%20Dig... .>
Department of Digital Humanities | King’s College London
*Profile* <https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/giota-alevizou>* | **BlueSky* <https://bsky.app/profile/giotita.bsky.social>* | **LinkedIn* <https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-giota-alevizou/>
*New publications*
Alevizou, G. (2026). *The Web of Knowledge* < https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-web-of-knowledge-encylo...
. Cambridge: Polity
The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
participants (2)
-
Giota Alevizou -
Shani Evenstein Sigalov