Some face-to-face events are returning. Check carefully for any requirements.
Why have we become obsessed with squeezing the most out of every minute? What’s wrong with wasting time?
Fr. Timothy Radcliffe OP, Dominican Friar and international writer and speaker, explores the delights and trials of sitting in silence, waiting for God to speak. Timothy Radcliffe was Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992-2001.
This talk forms part of the University Church’s Trinity term series for students and 20-somethings. Wine, cheese and juice will be in ample supply.
As part of the Oxford University Shakespeare Festival, singers from across the university will present settings of Shakespeare texts for solo voice and choir.
Solo settings by Quilter, Gurney and Finzi will be followed by choral works including Vaughan Williams’ Three Shakespeare Songs – settings from The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – and his stunning Serenade to Music which sets text from The Merchant of Venice; a piece which has been hailed as one of the most beautiful works ever written!
Tickets: £5 (including refreshments!)
Available here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/276207
experimentsandethics.wordpress.com
experimentsandethics.wordpress.com
The Psalms in England
With Prof M J Toswel, University of Western Ontario
Tuesday 10 June, 2-3pm, Headley Lecture Theatre
This lecture introduces the Anglo-Saxon psalter, and especially the interlinear vernacular versions in Latin psalters which were a unique feature in Europe at the time, and asks whether these provide evidence for greater engagement with the psalms in English than has generally been acknowledged.
Tickets £5/£4
http://www.ashmolean.org/events/Lectures/?id=132
Tour: Joseph Beuys & Jörg Immendorff
With Colin Harrison, Senior Curator of European Art
3–3.45pm on Wednesday 14 May and Wednesday 11 June
Tours are free, no booking is required. Please meet in Gallery 2.
http://www.ashmolean.org/exhibitions/details/?exh=92
A colloquium on the writing of J M Coetzee will be held 2-6pm on 13 June in the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson. Speakers include Professor David Attwell, University of York, Professor Elleke Boehmer and Professor Peter D McDonald. This is a free event and all are welcome, but you are advised to register by 9 June. Please email: eleni.philippou@new.ox.ac.uk.
Speaker: Susie Orbach
Psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, writer and social critic. Her books include Fat is a Feminist Issue and Bodies. A convenor of Anybody, an organisation that campaigns for body diversity. Co-founder of Antidote which works for the emotional literacy and Co-founder of Psychotherapist and Counsellors for Social Responsibility. Part of the Mansfield Lecture Series, convener Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
Mark Thompson will be speaking on his biography of the Serbian and Yugoslavian novelist Danilo Kis, Birth Certificate: The Story of Danilo Kis, and questioning, ‘how do you write a literary biography?’ The Life-Writing Lunch is a termly seminar series, in which auto/biographers discuss their work in an informal, friendly setting over a sandwich lunch. There is no charge, but you must register well in advance, by following the link on www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/clusters/life-writing/events/lwlunch
Dr Jonathan Jong, a researcher at the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, explores how time is all “in the mind”. Philosophers disagree about the nature of time: does it really flow from the past to the future through the present? There is a good chance that it doesn’t, and that our perception of time is illusory. But why do we experience time as we do?
This talk is part of the University Church’s Trinity term discussion series for students and 20-somethings, ‘A Waste of Time’, critiquing our cultural fetishizing of efficiency. As well as a guest speaker, there will be Q&A and group discussion over wine and cheese.
This event is free and open to all in the students and 20-somethings bracket.
A TORCH day conference including keynotes from Terry Eagleton and George Pattison and parallel session papers on theodicy, evil in literature, film and TV, German philosophy (Hegel and Fichte), death and technology, Aristotle, the Akedah, and more.
As part of ‘LoveFriday’, a late night opening at the Ashmolean museum, join us for gallery talks on love, sex, gender, and poetry in the ancient world. Talks will be 15 minutes and given on a rolling basis
‘Love, sex and gender in ancient Egypt’ with Ed Scrivens
‘Latin Love Poetry’ with Sharon van Dijk
‘Love in the Ramayana, Krishna, and the Gopis’ with Nayan Bedia
‘Love, Sex and Tragedy in Japanese Literature and History’ with Lyman Gamberton
‘Sex, gender and power in Imperial China’ with Alex Nachescu
LoveFriday welcome the summer LiveFriday to the Ashmolean for an evening dedicated to Love. Visitors will be invited to seek out love in the museum’s collection; through musical and theatrical performances and interactive workshops. Offering a shared journey, whether as a pre-existing couple or about to be acquainted, you can look forward to exploring the Museum and meeting like-minded people.
What do St. Augustine, Kafka, Samuel Johnson, William James, Susan Sontag, Douglas Adams, Hitler, and Hamlet all have in common? PROCRASTINATION. If it isn’t ‘the quintessential modern problem’ (New Yorker), it is certainly familiar to all who have picked up a pen, both within and outside academia.
Through papers from a variety of disciplines, the speakers will chart the phenomenon of procrastination, and the fraught moral and political claims it provokes. Who procrastinates, how, and why? Is the concept a moral universal, the product of particular contexts, or unique to the anglophone world? What ‘cures’—and what unexpected defences—have various writers proposed?
In 2014 Barnett House is celebrating its centenary. The celebrations culminate with the Reunion Weekend on 12-13 July 2014.
This includes:
– Keynote talk from Magdalena Sepulveda, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
– The 100th birthday tea party (the V-C Andrew Hamilton will cut the birthday cake!)
– A talk on the history of Barnett House and the launch of the book on the history.
– Open house at the department with displays of historic material and current research.
– Drinks and dinner with an after dinner talk from Prof Jonathan Bradshaw.
– Showing of the film Rich Man, Poor Man based on research carried out by Robert Walker and Elaine Chase with a discussion with the director of the film.
How do you find your own inner peace whilst living your own busy life?
How do you become the person who you truly are and honour your responsibilities?
How do you integrate and refine your soul’s purpose into your life?
An evening with Leon arts; Modern Day Alchemist, Dad, Visionary, Author, Social Innovator, Top Chef, Philanthopreneur, Traveller and Explorer of Consciousness.
To find the way to your own true self it helps to have a guide, it can be challenging to do it on your own. As the transformation of a cocoon into the butterfly is challenging and can feel like a struggle, it is easier in to do in the presence of another person with experience of the struggle.
When you change your inside world, the outside reality will follow suit: “As Within, So Without”.
The World Humanist Congress, held every three years, is a unique event bringing together humanists from over forty countries under the auspices of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. The 19th Congress is being organised by the British Humanist Association and will feature three days of plenary sessions in the Sheldonian Theatre, and workshops, talks, and panel discussions in the University of Oxford Examination Schools about Freedom of Thought and Expression: Forging a 21st Century Enlightenment. Confirmed speakers include: Jim Al-Khalili, Joan Bakewell, Richard Dawkins, A C Grayling, PZ Myers, Taslima Nasrin, Phillip Pullman, Wole Soyinka and Peter Tatchell.
Kenan Malik will be discussing ‘What can the history of morality tell us about the nature of morality’.
The World Humanist Congress is taking place from Friday 8th August until Sunday 10th August in Oxford. Held every three years in different locations around the world, this years theme of the meeting is ‘Freedom of Thought and Expression’. We are pleased to announce during the conference period, 10 world-class speakers will be visiting the bookshop for a series of free 20 minute talks taking place in the Norrington Room. You do not need tickets to attend any of the talks but seating is limited, so please arrive early to get a ensure your place.
Sarah will be discussing her new book ‘The Paying Guests’ and will be signing copies of the book afterwards. Tickets cost £20 which includes entry to the talk and a copy of ‘The Paying Guests’. There are only 120 places to this very exclusive event so please book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets can be obtained by visiting our Customer Service Department at Blackwell’s Bookshop, Broad Street, Oxford.
Join us for an evening at Corpus Christi College with the composer Robert Saxton, as he discusses his lifetime achievements in music with his fellow composer Thomas Hyde.
Robert Saxton has worked with many experts in the field, composed for the BBC and London Symphony Orchestra, amongst other ventures.
David Mitchell, author of ‘Cloud Atlas’, will be discussing his new book ‘The Bone Clocks’.
Matthew Spangler is the adapter of The Kite Runner and also teaches creative writing in San Francisco. In this seminar he will cover Adaptation Techniques (how to tell the story of a 400+ page book in 2 hours on stage) and Gaining Permission / Rights. There will also be a Q&A.
this seminar is FREE to any ticket holder for The Kite Runner.
Max 20 places, call Ticket Office to book on 10865 305 305.
Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing? Why should any of us care? In ‘The Sense of Style’, the bestselling linguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers these questions and more. Rethinking the usage guide for the twenty-first century, Pinker doesn’t carp about the decline of language or recycle pet peeves from the rulebooks of a century ago. Instead, he applies insights from the sciences of language and mind to the challenge of crafting clear, coherent, and stylish prose. Join us in the magnificent Sheldonian Theatre to hear from one of the most important public intellectuals.
A celebration of classical myths and stories in literature, and it will also mark our first full year since the East Oxford Community Classics Centre was opened to the public!
All aspects of the festival are free, and all ages are most welcome to attend. From 3.15 – 5.30pm there will be activities, stalls, dance, drama and exhibitions, including a large multisensory Story Museum exhibition! There will also be live music performances by musician Anna Neale from her album “River Man”, inspired by Pompeii.
We are also hosting the following author talks:
3.15 – 3.40 – Caroline Lawrence, author of the Roman Mysteries series
3.50 – 4.15 – Adele Geras, author of “Troy”, Ithaka”, “Dido” and many other novels
4.25 – 5.50 – Lindsey Davis, author of the “Falco” detective series
5 – 5.25 – Tom Holland, author of “Rubicon”, “Persian Fire”, Millenium” and many other books
6-7pm – performance by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, with music by John Sampson
Followed by drinks and book signing in the Library
No booking is required for attending the festival itself but author talks do require booking, so if you would like attend any of the author talks and/or performance by Carol Ann Duffy, please book by emailing info@irisproject.org.uk
Drinks in the library also require booking.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Simon Singh has been unearthing scientific and mathematical mysteries for more than 20 years. Here he will introduce his new book, The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets, which explores the vast amount of mathematics smuggled into the world’s most successful sitcom.
Author, journalist and TV producer Singh’s BAFTA-winning documentary Fermat’s Last Theorem was also the subject of his first book, with later acclaimed titles covering the Big Bang theory, alternative medicine and code-breaking.
After the show Singh will sign copies of his books, which will also be for sale.
Tickets £7, discounts £5
Sue Thomas, ‘Ghostly Presences: James Potter Lockhart and Jane Maxwell Lockhart in Jean Rhys’s Writing’. Sue Thomas, Professor of English at La Trobe University, Australia, is a Visiting Scholar at OCLW in October 2014. In this informal seminar, she will be talking about her biographical research on the novelist Jean Rhys, whose works include Good Morning, Midnight and Wide Sargasso Sea.
The Emma Press is celebrating the launch of Stephen Sexton’s new pamphlet, ‘Oils’, with a special event featuring Stephen and three other Emma Press poets.
STEPHEN SEXTON studies at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry in Belfast and Oils is his debut pamphlet.
JOHN FULLER lives in Oxford and will be reading from his new collection of prose poems, The Dice Cup, just published by Chatto & Windus.
KIRSTEN IRVING co-runs Sidekick Books and her first full collection, ‘Never Never Never Come Back’, was published by Salt in 2012.
ANDREW WYNN OWEN recently won the Newdigate Prize. He studies in Oxford and his first pamphlet, Raspberries for the Ferry, was published in March by the Emma Press.
Refreshment available.
Why do we still study Shakespeare? How have attitudes to Shakespeare changed over time? Is Shakespeare even at all relevant today? This course covers a number of the Bard’s tragedies, comedies and histories, discussing the themes that appear frequently and challenging the way in which we categorise them. Is Romeo and Juliet really so romantic? Combining close reading with contemporary theory, the course is heavily centred on debate and the way in which Shakespeare is kept alive in today’s society. Importantly, the classes are designed for all levels, with introductions to any new material and the opportunity to go as deep as you like.
This course runs for eight weeks on Thursdays at 7.30 – 9pm, from the 16th October – 4th December.
For more details, and to sign up, go to knowledgeproject.co.uk, or email alison@knowledgeproject.co.uk
About us:
The Knowledge Project offers affordable evening classes in exciting subjects. Our classes are taught by specialists in small, friendly groups (no more than ten) and are centred on lively discussion. We are a social enterprise and all our proceeds go to local children’s charity Jacari.
In the coming term we also have spaces available on:
– Environmental Science
– Novel Writing
– Moral Philosophy
– Anthropology
– Psychology
– Contemporary Art
Courses are held over 8 evening sessions (£80) or in a single intensive Sunday (£50).
Do you scribble stories in your spare time? Or even just daydream about characters and plots at your desk? They say everyone has a novel in them, and this eight week course aims to help you start putting yours down on paper. In workshops which combine creative writing with introductions to the fundamentals of novel writing, you will have the chance to create, critique and debate.
This course runs for 8 weeks on Fridays at 6 – 7.30pm from the 17th October to the 5th December.
The Knowledge Project offers affordable evening classes in exciting subjects. Our classes are taught by specialists in small, friendly groups (no more than ten) and are centred on lively discussion. We are a social enterprise and all our proceeds go to local children’s charity Jacari.
In the coming term we also have spaces available on:
– Shakespeare
– Environmental Science
– Novel Writing
– Moral Philosophy
– Anthropology
– Psychology
Courses are held over 8 evening sessions (£80) or in a single intensive Sunday (£50).
PsyNAppS holds our first meeting with Professor Nancy Puccinelli speaking about her considerable experience in the field of neuromarketing.
Professor Nancy Puccinelli is a leading expert in the role of affect in consumer behaviour. At our inaugural event, she will be discussing the application of Psychology and Neuroscience to marketing and analysis of consumer behaviour. She is currently a Fellow in Consumer Marketing at the Saïd Business School.
PsyNAppS members pay £5 for free entry to ALL talks for the entire academic year! Alternatively, pay £3 for free entry to all talks for one academic term, or £2 for entry to a single meeting.
Lucy Hughes-Hallett, ‘The Poet Who Doesn’t Know: Gabriele D’Annunzio’. British cultural historian and biographer Lucy Hughes-Hallett will be delivering a lecture on her award-winning biography of Gabriele D’Annunzio, The Pike. The Pike tells the story of the poet-turned-dictator who wrote ‘One must make one’s life as one makes a work of art’. It won the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Costa Biography Award and the Duff Cooper Prize. Lucy Hughes-Hallett’s previous books are Cleopatra and Heroes.