the initial pages of a book, including the title page and table of contents, which precede the main text. Also called front matter
COMMENT: The prelims occupy several pages. They will normally include a half title, the title page, the title page verso with bibliographical details, a contents page, and list of illustrations, preface, introduction and acknowledgements. They may also include a list of books by the same author (on the blank page facing the title page or half-title), a frontispiece (illustration facing the title page), etc. The prelims are usually numbered in Roman figures (i, ii, iii, etc.) and these numbers do not count towards the page numbers of the text. A catalogue might note that a book has 24pp prelims and 222pp text. In British and American books the printer\'s imprint appears on the bibliographical page following the title page. |
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