The discovery of the cache of manuscripts and other materials in cave seventeen of the Mogao Grottoes, near Dunhuang in western China, early last century has kindled the new field of the study of Central and East Asian Buddhist manuscripts. Discoveries in Japan late last century of twelfth-century copies of much earlier manuscripts, in addition to the treasury of documents preserved in the Shosoin (Shogozo), and at sites in Korea, Chinese Central Asia, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, compel scholars to reconsider not only how we think about the transmission of Buddhist literature and religious teachings, but also the production and preservation of Buddhist texts and books across a broad geographical and chronological span. All of this once again demonstrates the importance of the study of Buddhist manuscripts. It is precisely because of the significance of Buddhist manuscripts that an international conference entitled ‘Production and Preservation of Buddhist Manuscripts in Central and East Asia’ was held at the University of Cambridge, UK, from August 29–31, 2018. The conference brought together experts and scholars from various countries in the fields of Buddhist philology, Buddhist history, art history, and archaeology. During the three days of the conference, scholars discussed in depth the topics of ‘The Integration of the Teachings found in the manuscripts’, ‘The Migration of the manuscripts’, ‘The Materiality of the manuscripts’, and ‘epigraphical materials and manuscripts’. We now compile this collection of eleven papers in English based on the papers presented by scholars in this conference, with slight amendments.