English Literature: Frankenstein – Modern Prometheus & Ancient Origins With Dr Lilah Grace Canevaro From The University of Edinburgh

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We are delighted to welcome Dr Lilah Grace Canevaro, a leading academic in the School of History, Classics & Archaeology at The University of Edinburgh. Lilah Grace will lead an interactive talk for students entitled Frankenstein: Modern Prometheus and Ancient Origins.

Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein bore the subtitle ‘Or, The Modern Prometheus’. In this interactive discussion session we will explore the ancient roots of this title. Frankenstein is often treated as the first science fiction novel, but the cue in the subtitle leads us to elements of science fiction already in ancient Greek literature. Frankenstein shares with Greek literature and mythology an interest in how technology helps define human culture.

Frankenstein started as a ghost-story competition between Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron – which Mary Shelley won. In this session we will link female authorship to female agency in ancient Greek literature, specifically that of Pandora, Prometheus’ female counterpart. Pandora is usually thought to be the first woman, like the Biblical Eve: but in a disconcerting dystopian move, she might also be the first cyborg.

This session will touch on themes from all of the examining boards in A-Level English Literature, such as science and society, the supernatural, women and society, Gothic, dystopian literature, texts in shared contexts and texts across time.

This exciting event is designed to support English Literature students in their current studies by offering rich and original insight into the texts and themes they are addressing. By seeing how a classical perspective resonates in contemporary culture, society and literature, we hope the session may also serve to pique students’ interest in the possibilities offered by Classics, particularly if they haven’t had the opportunity to explore this avenue previously.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Lilah Grace Canevaro

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: S5/S6, Key Stage 5 (and equivalent) students studying English Literature and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here