I am very much looking forward to welcoming you to our much-loved Classics Department this September. We continue to go from strength to strength with wonderful students and a fantastic set of colleagues. I am very proud of everything we’ve achieved over the recent years, whether being ranked 1st for research in the UK or climbing up the QS World Rankings where we are the fourth-placed UK Classics Department.
Our department prides itself on being especially friendly and inclusive. It is a place where you will make lifelong friends, receive excellent pastoral care from your tutor and enjoy being in the heart of a great city – your student common room looks out onto the newly-pedestrianised area of the Strand. We are a short walk from world-class museums and other cultural institutions while also being the home of a vibrant Classics Society and other clubs that will nourish you.
We’ve just completed this year’s student-led Greek Play, a brilliant interpretation of Lysistrata which explores both Aristophanes’ classic and the ways in which antiquity resonates with 19th c Britain (and with us today). It was performed, produced, directed by KCL Classics students receiving reviews such as: “Amazing! Our students found it both hilarious and thought-provoking – a top class performance.”
While our students enjoy the summer break, my academic colleagues have been running events across the disciplines of ancient history, classical literature, archaeology and heritage as well as the reception of the past. I’ve been involved in a conference on heritage interpretation, for example, and we’ve just put on a collaborative event between KCL Classics and musicians in developing an opera, inspired by Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad and Homer’s Odyssey. This was called ‘In Ithaca’ – Penelope’s Web’ and you can find out more about this exciting ongoing project here. We were also part of a brilliant afternoon devoted to Greek tragedy in Cuba.
These are just a few examples of the exciting things taking place here. You can get a sense of our research interests on our website or learn more about our undergraduate offering. You may spot there the Jamie Rumble trip. This last year it took 25 students to Rome. Next year, my colleague, Professor Gonda Van Steen, will take a similar-sized group to Athens. It’s a truly wonderful experience that we are delighted to be able to offer to second- and third-year students.
The sun is out and I wish you a very enjoyable summer. I hope to see you in September and, in the meantime, do take a moment to look through this list of optional background reading. It’ll whet your appetite for what is to come over your first academic year with us.
With my very best wishes,
Will
Dr Will Wootton
Reader in Classical Art and Archaeology
Head of Department of Classics