The first global history of punctuation tells the story of the marks that give voice to the written word.

So. Good. So. Sharp. So. Clear. You. Need. This. Book. Period' Lucy Mangan, author of Bookish

Why does this sentence start with a capital letter?

Why is this one broken up - and why does it end in a question mark?

Does anyone really know what semicolons are for; why are italics italicised, and why do words have spaces between them?

Punctuation turns written words into meaningful language, inflecting them with nuance and tone: it can be the difference between a nice surprise! And a nasty ending...

Florence Hazrat's ground-breaking history of punctuation stretches from the ancient past to into the digital realms of today, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the rise of the emoji, the birth of the printing press to the death of the Oxford Comma.
In this definitive biography of the marks that give voice to our written words, and the characters that have shaped their usage, Hazrat reveals their richly storied past and how punctuation is evolving and more important than ever as we move from the printed page to the digital screen.
A deeply researched treasure trove that wears its knowledge lightly, On the Mark is a fascinating odyssey through time and place for language lovers everywhere.

This wonderful history of punctuation is also a history of the world. In Hazrat's hands, every story has a point, and every point a story -- Simon Garfield, author of THE PEN & JUST MY TYPE

A thought-provoking history of language's unsung dots and squiggles. Punctuation may be silent, but thankfully there's Hazrat to tell the tale -- Eli Burnstein, author of DICTIONARY OF FINE DISTINCTIONS

Details

ISBN13: 9781800819566
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 320
Edition: Main
Publication Date: 22 Sep 2026
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 23.6(H)x15.4(L)x3.2(W)520
Weight (gm): 520

Author Biography

Dr Florence Hazrat is a researcher and writer, and a world expert on the history and culture of punctuation. A BBC New Generation Thinker, Dr Hazrat has appeared on Radio 4's Word of Mouth and writes the Substack Mind the Gap. Her first book, An Admirable Point, a cultural history of the exclamation mark, was published by Profile in 2022.

Reviews

A roller coaster of a story -- John McWhorter * New York Times *
A fascinating history... An appealing, lavishly researched scholarly inquiry into punctuation over the centuries * Guardian *
A delightful tale ... rollicking ... crammed with fascinating facts * Economist *
A heartily entertaining look at the characters who formed the way we write today ... A perceptive examination * Country Life *
An intriguing history * Telegraph *
Entertaining ... Hazrat brings an important subject to life * Literary Review *
Delightful ... Hazrat believes that punctuation is one of the most extraordinary inventions in human history, and it's difficult to argue ... a heartily entertaining look at the characters who formed the way we write today * Mail on Sunday *
Deft, thoughtful and fascinating. This book exposes the hidden language that surrounds our words -- Mark Forsyth, author of THE ETYMOLOGICON
So. Good. So. Sharp. So. Clear. You. Need. This. Book. Period -- Lucy Mangan, author of BOOKISH
This wonderful history of punctuation is also a history of the world. In Hazrat's hands, every story has a point, and every point a story -- Simon Garfield, author of JUST MY TYPE
An absolute delight! Rich, wise, and elegantly told. This is a treasure chest of pleasingly obscure information. There is so much more to the written word than the letters of the alphabet -- Dennis Duncan, author of INDEX, A HISTORY OF THE
On the Mark is dizzying, compendious and illuminating - a timely and rewarding quest through the past, present and future of punctuation -- Keith Houston, author of SHADY CHARACTERS
A thought-provoking history of language's unsung dots and squiggles. Punctuation may be silent, but thankfully there's Hazrat to tell the tale -- Eli Burnstein, author of DICTIONARY OF FINE DISTINCTIONS