On Not Knowing Greek: why the classics matter today
Event Details
Ancient Greek literature and art are a foundation of Western culture. Yet they feel distant from us – foreign, strange and long ago. Homer’s epics, Sophocles’ tragedies, Plato’s dialogues, the sculptures of Praxiteles: why do they remain so compelling today?
Join us at the London Literary Salon as we explore this question. In her essay On Not Knowing Greek Virginia Woolf argues that Ancient Greece resists translation, and that its language, culture, and people remain, in a sense, unknowable. Nevertheless, she shows how they contain universal experiences that speak to us with powerful force. Similarly, in Archaic Torso of Apollo the modern German poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s has a dramatic encounter with a fragment from the ancient world.
Facilitated by Sean Forester, a classically trained painter and literary discussion leader, and Karina Jakubowicz, Virginia Woolf scholar and lecturer at Literature Cambridge, the aim of this study is to bring together literature and art, the ancient and the modern, and the men and women of the LitSalon community for fun and eclectic afternoon. It is likely to be of particular interest for those who have studied Woolf before, but no previous experience is necessary. The event will also serve as an introduction to classical studies the LitSalon will offer in the future.
Following a two-hour discussion at a convenient location on Gower Street, a short walk away from the British Museum, the Parthenon sculptures await us. After visiting the museum participants are invited to join Karina and Sean at a local pub for food, drinks and continuing conversation.
JOINING DETAILS:
- Two-hour in-person study led by Sean Forester and Karina Jakubowicz, Saturday 20 April, 1.00-3.00 pm BST, Gower Street, London WC1 (regrettably this venue is not wheelchair accessible)
- Readings Virginia Woolf’s On Not Knowing Greek and Archaic Torso of Apollo by Rainer Maria Rilke
- £60.00 (please note that we will provide tea and coffee but not lunch)
- Participants are encouraged to visit the Parthenon sculptures at the British Museum following the meeting (admission is free) and invited to join Karina and Sean at Truckles of Pied Bull Yard if they would like to continue the conversation.
