Emily Wilson’s translation of the Odyssey, published in 2017, the first into English by a woman, was hailed as a ‘revelation’ by the New York Times and a ‘cultural landmark’ by the Guardian. With her translation of the Iliad, ten years in the making, she has given us a complete Homer for a new generation. In her hands, this thrilling, magical and often horrifying tale now gallops at a pace befitting its legendary battle scenes, in crisp but resonant language that evokes the poem’s deep pathos and reveals palpably real, ‘complicated’ characters – both human and divine.

In this event recorded at Conway Hall, London, on 2 October 2023, Wilson discusses her work with Edith Hall, professor at Durham University, and Juliet Stevenson and Tobias Menzies read passages from her new translation.

Wilson, professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, is a regular contributor to the LRB and the host of one of our Close Readings series of podcasts, Among the Ancients. She will be in conversation with Edith Hall, professor at Durham University and the author of many acclaimed books on Ancient Greek culture and its influence on modernity. The event will be chaired by Wilson’s Close Readings co-host, the LRB’s Thomas Jones.

Find out about Close Readings here: https://lrb.me/plusyt

Listen to a free version of Close Readings here: https://lrb.me/cryt

ABOUT THE LRB

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