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THE SHAHNAMAH 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
Supported by
Julius Baer
Ms. Elahe Kashanchi
Anonymous donors
Introduction
The Shahnamah (Book of Kings) was completed by the poet Ferdowsi in 1010, exactly one thousand years ago, and remains dear to Iranians as their national epic. This lengthy Persian poem describes the dramatic adventures, tragedies and romances of the kings and heroes of ancient Iran. This lecture is given by Prof. Dick Davis of Ohio State University, whose recent, highly-regarded translation of Ferdowsi’s great work, has made the text more accessible to English speakers. Prof. Davis will be discussing how the Shahnamah influenced and informed the subsequent development of Persian poetry.
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
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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