Written Book

Written Book

Rarity tier	Common
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (16)

{
    "title": "Written Book",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Common",
            "label": "(link to Rarity article, displayed as Rarity tier)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes (16)",
            "label": "Stackable"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [
        "Written Book"
    ],
    "images": [
        "Written Book.gif"
    ]
}

A written book is an item created after a book and quill is signed.

Obtaining

Signing a book and quill

Written books can be obtained by signing a book and quill. After it has been signed, it cannot be edited again. The label does not say "Written Book", but whatever the player titles it. The title appears on the top line of the label, and "by <player>" (the player's username) on the bottom. In Bedrock Edition, this is customizable without commands.

Copying

A signed written book can be be copied using a crafting table. Books have four generations: "Original", "Copy of Original", "Copy of Copy", and "Tattered". Only books of the generations "Original" and "Copy of Original" may be copied, creating the "Copy of Original" and "Copy of Copy" generations respectively. Books of the generation "Copy of Copy" may not be copied. The "Tattered" generation is unused in normal gameplay.

Source Generation	Copiable?	Outcome Generation
Original	Yes	Copy of Original
Copy of Original	Yes	Copy of Copy
Copy of Copy	No	N/A
Tattered	No	N/A

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	[hide]Description
Book and Quill + Written Book	2345678	The input written book is not consumed. The new copies are "Copy of Original" or "Copy of Copy", depending on whether the input written book is "Original" or "Copy of Original". Copies of copies cannot be copied. Copied books of the same generation ("Original", "Copy of Original", "Copy of Copy", or "Tattered") stack.

Usage

Written books can be opened by pressing the use control (or holding down on the touchscreen in Bedrock Edition), and display a GUI allowing the player to read it or turn the page.

The contents of a book are an extra set of data attached to the item. This means that when a book is destroyed, its contents are lost with it.

Lecterns

Written books can be placed on an empty lectern.

The lectern then emits a redstone signal depending on the displayed page in the book. On the last page, the lectern emits a signal strength of 15.

Chiseled bookshelf

Using the chiseled bookshelf while having a written book in the main hand puts the book inside the chiseled bookshelf.

Sounds

Java Edition

[hide]Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Page rustles	Master Volume	When the page of a book is turned	item.book.page_turn	subtitles.item.book.page_turn​	2.0	1.0	16
	​Page rustles	Blocks	When the page of a book is turned on a lectern	item.book.page_turn	subtitles.item.book.page_turn​	2.0	0.9-1.0	16
	​Book thumps	Blocks	When a book is placed on a lectern	item.book.put	subtitles.item.book.put​	1.0	1.0	16
	​Book placed	Blocks	When a written book is placed in a chiseled bookshelf	block.chiseled_bookshelf.insert	subtitles.chiseled_bookshelf.insert​	0.8	varies	16
	​Book taken	Blocks	When a written book is removed from a chiseled bookshelf	block.chiseled_bookshelf.pickup	subtitles.chiseled_bookshelf.take​	0.8	varies	16

Bedrock Edition:

[hide]Sounds
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Sound	When the page of a book is turned	item.book.page_turn	2.0	1.0
	Blocks	When a book is placed on a lectern	item.book.put	4.8	1.0
	Blocks	When a written book is placed in a chiseled bookshelf	insert.chiseled_bookshelf	0.8	varies
	Blocks	When a written book is removed from a chiseled bookshelf	pickup.chiseled_bookshelf	0.8	varies

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Item tags	[hide]Translation key
Written Book	written_book	Item	bookshelf_books lectern_books	item.minecraft.written_book

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item tags	[hide]Translation key
Written Book	written_book	511	Item	minecraft:bookshelf_books minecraft:lectern_books	item.written_book.name

Item data

Java Edition:

• [NBT Compound / JSON Object] components: the item's components tag.
  • [NBT Compound / JSON Object] minecraft:written_book_content: The contents and metadata of this written book.
    • [NBT List / JSON Array] pages: A list of the pages in the book.
      • [NBT Compound / JSON Object]: A single page.
        • [String][NBT List / JSON Array][NBT Compound / JSON Object] raw: The text component representing the text content of the page. See Text component format.
        • [String][NBT List / JSON Array][NBT Compound / JSON Object] filtered: The Text component representing the filtered text of the page. Optional. Shown only to players with chat filter enabled, instead of [String] text.

        Alternatively, a single page can be represented as follows:

      • [String][NBT List / JSON Array][NBT Compound / JSON Object]: The text component representing the text content of the page.
    • [NBT Compound / JSON Object] title: The title of this written book.
      • [String] raw: The plain text title.
      • [String] filtered: The filtered title. Optional. Shown only to players with chat filter enabled, instead of [String] text.
    • [String] author: The author of this written book.
    • [Int] generation: The number of times this written book has been copied. 0 = original, 1 = copy of original, 2 = copy of copy, 3 = tattered. Defaults to 0. If the value is greater than 1, the book cannot be copied.
    • [Boolean] resolved: If true, the text components have already been resolved (such as entity selectors and scores). If false, they are resolved when this book is opened by a player for the first time. Defaults to false.

Bedrock Edition:

History

[hide]Java Edition
1.3.1			12w17a				Added written books.
			12w21a				Written books can now be sold to librarian villagers, at 1 written book for 1 emerald.
1.7.2			13w36a				Written books can now be cloned the same way maps can, but by using books and quills instead of Empty Maps. Multiple copies of the same written book can be cloned by putting more book and quills in the crafting grid.
							Written books can now be stacked (up to 16 per stack).
1.8			14w02a				Trading has been changed: librarian villagers now buy 2 written books for 1 emerald.
			14w05a				Copying written books now mark them as "Copy of Original" or "Copy of Copy". The copying status of a book is denoted in a separate line in the tooltip, beneath the author's name. Copies of copies cannot be copied.
1.9			15w33c				A written book titled "Work in Progress" now generates within a hopper as a part of the end ship in the end cities. It reads: "We will have something else here soon..." and is signed by Searge.
			15w41a				End ships no longer contain a written book.
1.14			18w43a				The texture of written books has been changed.
			19w02a				Written books can now be held on lecterns.
			19w11a				Librarian villagers no longer buy written books.
1.19.3 Experiment Update 1.20			22w42a				Written books can now interact with chiseled bookshelves.
1.20.5			1.20.5-pre1				The page limit of written books has now been removed.
[hide]Bedrock Edition
1.2.0			beta 1.2.0.2				Added written books.
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3				The texture of written books has been changed.
							Written books can now be held on lecterns.
?							Written Books are no longer obtainable with the /give Command.
[hide]Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU25	CU14	1.17	1.17	1.17	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added written books.
							Written books can be sold to librarian villagers, at 1 written book for 1 emerald.
TU31	CU19	1.22	1.22	1.22	Patch 3		Trading has been changed: librarian villagers now buy 2 written books for 1 emerald.
			1.90				The texture of written books has been changed.
							Written books can now be held on lecterns.
			1.91				Librarian villagers no longer buy written books.

Data history

[hide]Java Edition
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 387.

Issues

Issues relating to "Written Book" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

• When written books are obtained with commands (without the correct data tag), the label shows "Written Book" and has the text "*Invalid book tag*" when opened. The book is signed and cannot be edited without commands.
• Commands that were added to a written book using serialized JSON objects are executed through the chat system. This means that any command added to a written book can't be longer than 256 characters, which is the maximum chat line limit.
• Within the April Fools' snapshot Java Edition 20w14∞, throwing a written book into a lit nether portal creates a portal to one of the 2,147,483,645 new dimensions.

Gallery

Textures

• 

  Java Edition book background texture.

• 

  Bedrock Edition book background texture.

• 

  Java Edition left arrow texture.

• 

  Java Edition right arrow texture.

• 

  Bedrock Edition left arrow texture.

• 

  Bedrock Edition Right arrow texture.

Screenshots

• 

  A signed book.

• 

  Copying a signed book.

• 

  Different types of characters can be used to simulate a different font.

• 

  First image of a book using JSON text.

• 

  A no NBT written book using commands.

See also

• Book
• Bookshelf
• Book and Quill
• Formatting Codes