Virgil's Aeneid: Lessons on Fleeing, Hope and Resilience
Presented by Poet in the City
The plight of refugees is not a new phenomenon, yet global crises still persist.Join us for an evening of poetry and discussion considering the lessons of Virgil’s Aeneid in the context of contemporary refugee emergencies. Virgil’s legendary Aeneid is an epic Latin poem written between 29 and 19 BC. It charts the story of Aeneas who fled from Troy, a city under siege in the East, and forged his way across the Mediterranean in search of safety. On arrival, Aeneas, and all those escaping the war are faced with a hostile rejection that breeds bitterness, resentment and conflict towards the refugees. Over two centuries later, similar narratives can be found today. What lessons can Virgil’s Aeneid teach us about fleeing, hope and resilience?
Nick Makoha
will be performing his own poetry at the event, reflecting on the migrant experience.
The Founder of Obsidian, Nick Makoha is a Ugandan poet and playwright and based in London. His debut Kingdom of Gravity was shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize and nominated by The Guardian as one of the best books of 2017. His play The Dark was directed by JMK award-winner Roy Alexander and shortlisted for the 2019 Alfred Fagon Award. He has been involved in TV marketing campaigns for Voices Nationwide: Celebrating Fatherhood and the Gillette, Being A Man digital campaign for The Southbank Centre. His poems appeared in The New York Times, Poetry Review, Rialto, Poetry London, Triquarterly Review, Boston Review, Callaloo, and Wasafiri.
Laura Hanna
Laura joins the event to bring to life excerpts of the Aeneid.
Laura Hanna‘s theatre credits include: Living Newspaper Edition 5 & A History of Water in the Middle East (Royal Court), Signal Fires (Fuel Theatre); KaraOkay & Give a Man a Bible (Bunker Theatre); Rest Upon the Wind (Oman tour); The Sweethearts, Perchance to Dream (Finborough); A Bright Room Called Day (Southwark); Foreplay (King’s Head); Still Life & Red Peppers (Old Red Lion); Lean (Tristan Bates); Beasts & Beauties (Hampstead).
Edith Hall
Edith Hall
Edith is Professor in the Classics Department at King’s College London. Her specialism is ancient Greek literature, but she enjoys putting the pleasure as well as the rigour into all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman history, society, and thought. Edith has now published thirty books, broadcasts frequently on radio and television, works as consultant with professional theatres, lectures all over the world, and publishes widely in academic and mainstream journals and newspapers. Edith has held posts at Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Reading and Royal Holloway, and visiting positions at Notre Dame, Swarthmore, Northwestern, Leiden, and Erfurt.