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THE SHAHNAMEH AND PERSIAN POETRY
Lecture by Professor Dick Davis
Thursday 9 December 2010
7:00pm
Hochhauser Auditorium
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL |
Organised by
Iran Heritage Foundation and the Victoria and Albert Museum
Supported by
Ms. Elahe Kashanchi
Anonymous donors
Introduction
"The Shahnameh is one of the great monuments of World literature, written by Ferdowsi around 1000 AD and of central importance in the cultural sphere of Greater Persia. In preserving the memory and the spirit of a heroic past, it has continued to inspire his countrymen in all areas of life and art, influencing, amongst others, generations of poets.
In his lecture, Dick Davis will talk about the importance of the Shahnameh in the subsequent development of Persian poetry. In many ways the uniqueness of the Shahnameh sets it apart from Persian poetry in general, but Dick Davis' talk will explore how themes and techniques of the poem became central concerns for many of the major Persian poets who followed Ferdowsi, even when, as for example with many Sufi poets, their works show few obvious resemblances to Ferdowsi's great masterpiece."
Dick Davis was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1945, and educated at the universities of Cambridge (B.A. and M.A. in English Literature) and Manchester (PhD. In Medieval Persian Literature). He lived in Iran for eight years (1970-1978), and also for some time in both Italy and Greece. He is currently Professor of Persian and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Ohio State University. As author, translator or editor, he has produced over 20 books as well as academic works. These include translations from Italian (prose) and Persian (prose and verse), and eight books of his own poetry (the most recent of which is 'A Trick of Sunlight', 2006). His translations from Persian include Attar's 'The Conference of the Birds', a book of medieval epigrams ('Borrowed Ware'), Pezeshkzad’s 'My Uncle Napoleon', and Ferdowsi’s 'Shahnameh'. He has recently completed a verse translation of the 11th century poet Gorgani's 'Vis and Ramin', one of the most beautiful of Persian love stories.
Admission
£8:00
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For postal booking please click here to download an application form.
Date and time
Thursday 9 December 2010
Doors open 18.30
Lecture 19.00-20.00
Reception 20.00-21.00
Venue
Hochhauser Auditorium
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
Guests are requested to use the Exhibition Road Entrance only
Enquiries
Iran Heritage Foundation, 5 Stanhope Gate, London W1K 1AH
Tel: +44 (20) 7493 4766
Email: info@iranheritage.org
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