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Centre for
Hellenic Studies
Newsletter 32 December 2021
Director’s Report
It has been a busy year for the Centre for Hellenic
Studies, continuing to develop our aims while
navigating the lingering pandemic and re-imagining
the ‘new normal’. We managed both the online
teaching for extended periods of time and the return
to our on-campus classrooms in September 2021.
We also managed the technological challenges
of hosting virtual events but appreciated all the
more those few events that we have been able to
hold in person, such as our walking tours, a film-
screening, and smaller get-togethers. Our students
have been good sports, adapting as quickly as we
needed them to, and our staff has risen to every
Celebrating the new documentary Queens of Amathus,
conceivable professional and managerial challenge. dir. Panayiotis Panayiotou
We transformed our 21in21 programme as needed,
to mark the 200-year anniversary of the outbreak Professor. Meanwhile, the physical space of the
of the Greek War of Independence, and we put Strand in between the King’s buildings and Bush
the next important conference in place, which House is being transformed drastically, as is the
will be devoted to the 100-year anniversary inner courtyard of the Strand campus. Amidst all the
commemoration of the 1922 Smyrna Catastrophe. familiar and the radically new, we remain enormously
To both historical landmarks, we have been keen grateful to you all for your ongoing support during
to bring a more global or transnational approach, these challenging times, enabling us not only to
and we have taken the opportunity to connect with maintain but also to increase, diversify, and share
scholars from around the world. We also celebrated our teaching, research, and outreach activities.
together, as at the Twelfth A.G. Leventis conference We hope this Newsletter will do justice to all we
in Edinburgh in November 2021, organised by accomplished but could not have done without you.
Niels Gaul and Roderick Beaton, Emeritus Koraes
Gonda Van Steen, December 2021
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD CHS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Board held its annual meeting on 4 February 2021, the For the past three years, the Management Committee
day of the Runciman Lecture. Its external members are Dr of CHS has consisted of the following members: Dr John
Dionysios Kapsalis (former Director, Cultural Foundation of Kittmer, Dr Daniel Orrells, Dr Tassos Papacostas, Dr
the National Bank, Athens), Dr Tassos Leventis FKC (Director Emily Pillinger, Professor Michael Trapp, and Professor
of the A.G. Leventis Foundation), Professor Richard P. Martin Gonda Van Steen. We welcome Dr Will Wootton as a new
(Stanford), Professor Paschalis M. Kitromilides (Professor member. He replaces Daniel Orrells, who is enjoying a
Emeritus of the University of Athens), and Professor Sir well-earned leave after his term as Head of Department.
Michael Llewellyn-Smith (former HM Ambassador to Greece
and a CHS Visiting Professor). The latter two have also
recently published books that could not be more timely in the
light of Greece’s historical anniversaries: P. M. Kitromilides
and C. Tsoukalas edited and published The Greek Revolution:
A Critical Dictionary (Cambridge, MA, and London: The Belknap
Press of Harvard University Press, 2021). The volume’s Greek
translation will be coming out with Crete University Press in
early 2022. Sir Michael Llewellyn-Smith published Venizelos: The
Making of a Greek Statesman, 1864-1914 (London: Hurst, 2021).
GRANTS, PRIZES, STUDENTSHIPS AND DONATIONS
The A.G. Leventis Foundation continues written work. The prize was inaugurated Fund and the activities it supports
to fund our collaborative planning in 2016. From 2019 onwards, the prize in the fields of Art and Archaeology,
for events and activities marking the has been awarded annually to a literary please contact Professor Michael
1821 bicentennial of the Greek War of translation from Modern Greek into Squire (michael.squire@kcl.ac.uk).
Independence. The full programme English of one poem and one prose extract
consists of 21 events and is called ‘21 in from Marangou’s many publications. The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation
21: Celebrating 2021 in 21 Encounters’. generously extended tuition support
The programme offers lectures, The Jamie Rumble Memorial Fund at to incoming PhD student Aaron Niles,
panel discussions, conferences, and King’s sponsors the annual Rumble Fund whereas the Robert Browning Memorial
a couple of walking tours around Lecture in Classical Art. On 17 March Fund Graduate Scholarship was
Greek London. It has its own website 2021, Professor Salvatore Settis spoke awarded to Prodromos Papanikolaou.
at 21in21.co.uk and offers more on the topic of ‘A Greek Lady from Both PhD students work in the field of
details on past and upcoming events. Persepolis: A Statue of Penelope and Her Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies.
Roman Sisters’. The event was organised
The Tassos and Angele Nomikos by the Centre for Hellenic Studies and CHS received a 6,000 Euro grant from
Postdoctoral Fellow in Modern Greek and the Department of Classics at King’s, in the Cyprus government, which was
Byzantine Studies has been appointed. collaboration with The Courtauld and facilitated by the Ministry of Education,
Dr Peter Swallow combines research in the Institute of Classical Studies. Due to Dr Marios Psaras, and Dr Achilleas
the field of reception studies and Greek the pandemic, the 2021 event was held Hadjikyriacou. The latter was recently
comedy, while also helping CHS with online (and can be accessed via the appointed as the new Director of the
preparing (and presenting remotely, if link above). While we look forward to Centre for Greek Diaspora Studies at
necessary) some of the many London- hosting ‘live’ the 16 March 2022 Rumble Royal Holloway, University of London.
based events of 2021 and 2022. lecture, to be delivered by Professor He will also be serving as Senior Manager
Dimitris Plantzos (University of Athens), at The Hellenic Institute at RHUL.
The Niki Marangou Translation Prize, the online format meant that the 2021
sponsored by Mr. Constantis Candounas lecture (the seventh in the series) could Lastly, CHS is grateful to Christopher,
and awarded this year to Elpiniki be enjoyed across five continents, by a Lord Terrington for his generous donation
Meimaroglou, commemorates Niki record number of virtual attendees. For of several Greek translations of books by
Marangou, with a focus on her own further information about the Rumble his late father, Christopher Woodhouse.
WORKSHOPS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
OF 2021
Our ‘21in21’ events calendar has via the streaming service Marquee. off with King’s Annual Runciman
marked the 200-year anniversary of tv and on the Greek ERT. For more Lecture. On 4 February 2021, Prof.
the Greek Revolution, drawing in information, see www.protovoulia21. David Ricks (King’s) delivered online
audiences from across the world. This gr, and, more specifically, here. the 30th Annual Runciman Lecture
extensive and collaborative events on ‘The Shot Heard round the World:
programme has been generously The Hellenic Observatory at the The Greek Revolution in Poetry’. The
sponsored by the A.G. Leventis London School of Economics hosted speaker was introduced by Professor
Foundation. With its emphasis on a 28 January panel discussion entitled Gonda Van Steen, and the vote of
the global impact of the revolutionary ‘Power and Impunity: What Donald thanks was given by Dr Dionysis
age, the 21in21 series has become Trump and Boris Didn’t Learn from Kapsalis. The event, sponsored by
the de facto Anglo-Hellenic platform the Ancient Greeks’. This online the late Matti and Nicholas Egon,
for celebrating the bicentennial. public event was widely advertised can be accessed online via YouTube.
The 21 events below bespeak the and is still accessible here and via
collective nature of our events YouTube. Paul Kelly, Professor February 2021 also saw our diptych
calendar, which proved to be highly of Political Philosophy, Dept. of of panel discussions on ‘1821: The
effective during the many months of Government, LSE, chaired the panel Migration of Revolutionary Ideas’,
lockdown restrictions. See also our that featured the following speakers: organised and chaired by Professor
dedicated website at 21in21.co.uk. Kevin Featherstone (introduction), Roderick Beaton, in collaboration with
Hellenic Observatory Director; the British School at Athens. These
SPRING AND SUMMER 2021 Eleftherios Venizelos Professor in panels studied the common topic of
The concert dedicated to Greece, Contemporary Greek Studies and ideas about making a revolution – ideas
featuring Sir Simon Rattle (London Professor in European Politics; that are in themselves revolutionary.
Symphony Orchestra) conducting Michael Cox, Emeritus Professor They revolved around both concepts,
Leonidas Kavakos (violin, Berg of International Relations, LSE; as ways of understanding the outbreak
and Schubert Symphony No 9), Director of LSE IDEAS; Simon of revolution by Orthodox Christian,
was organised in collaboration with Goldhill, Professor of Greek at the Greek-speaking subjects of the
the National Bank of Greece and University of Cambridge and Foreign Ottoman Empire in the spring of
Initiative 1821-2021. It was originally Secretary of the British Academy; and 1821, that would lead to the creation
scheduled for 7 January 2021 but Johanna Hanink, Associate Professor of Greece as a modern nation-state in
had to be recorded in the absence of of Classics at Brown University. 1830. The speakers focused on the
an audience. It was then streamed transmission, or ‘migration’, of such
in a non-live, deferred broadcast The month of February 2021 started ideas across the European continent
2 | Centre for Hellenic Studies Newsletter December 2021
in the wake of the 1789 Revolution Dr Antonis Hadjikiriakou (Panteion Papadimitriou, Reader in Film Studies,
in France and their impact in University, Athens), ‘Winning at Liverpool John Moores University,
creating the climate in which a Greek Land, Losing at Sea: The First Turkish who also chaired the session. On this
revolution became possible in 1821. History of the Greek Revolution’; Dr occasion, too, David Holton, Professor
Sukru Ilicak (Research Centre for the Emeritus Cambridge University,
The speakers of the 15 February Humanities, Athens), ‘The Greek announced the two winners of the
Athens edition of this diptych of War of Independence as an Albanian inaugural Niki Marangou PhD
panels were Antonia Dialla (Athens Experience’; and Dr Paris Papamichos Dissertation Prize for the best
School of Fine Arts), Efi Gazi Chronakis (Lecturer in Modern dissertation completed in Modern
(University of the Peloponnese), Greek History, Royal Holloway, Greek Studies in the UK. Winners
and Kostas Tampakis (National University of London), ‘From were Yannis Stamos (Birmingham)
Hellenic Research Foundation). “Other” to “Brother”: Greek Jews and and John Kittmer (King’s).
The event was attended virtually by the Greek Revolution in the Interwar
255 people. Watch via YouTube. Period’. The three presentations were On Saturday, 29 May 2021, Dr
followed by a concise and probing Konstantinos Trimmis (Bristol) led
The UK-based speakers of 22 response from Dr Konstantina Zanou a historic walking tour of Greece-
February were Georgios Varouxakis (Columbia University), who rounded related sites and sights in London.
(Queen Mary), Athena Leoussi off the information-filled evening Participants met outside of the
(Reading), and Sanja Perovic (King’s). and opened the floor for questions Bayswater tube station for a two-
This session was co-hosted also from the audience. Approximately hour-long tour of the Bayswater area
with the Society for the Promotion 80 people attended the event. and Agia Sophia Greek Orthodox
of Hellenic Studies, and its Chair, Cathedral on Moscow Road, passing
Emeritus A.G. Leventis Professor by the London residence of Seferis,
Paul Cartledge, gave an additional the house where Cavafy used to
brief welcome. The event drew an live for three years, the first Greek
online audience of 300 people from all boarding school where G. Valetas
over the world. Watch via YouTube. was headmaster (at Kensington
Gardens Square), the house of
On 11 March 2021, Koraes Dimitrios Vikelas (at 22 Porchester
Professor Gonda Van Steen gave Gardens), past the statue of George
the Nineteenth Annual Hellenic Kastriotis-Skanderbeg (1405-1468)
Lecture on ‘The Greek Revolution described as the ‘invincible Albanian
of 1821 and Its Multiple Legacies’. national hero, defender of Western
The event was organised by Dr civilization’, etc. This walking tour
Charalambos Dendrinos, Director was the first on-site event of our year-
of The Hellenic Institute at RHUL, long 21in21 programme. As per UK
in collaboration with Dr Achilleas Jenny Karezi as Manto Mavrogenous (still government guidelines, we limited
Hadjikyriacou and Dr Paris from Manto Mavrogenous, dir. Kostas admission to the first 30 people who
Papamichos Chronakis. The event Karagiannis, 1971) pre-registered. The tour enjoyed
was well received, and a recording great weather and earned us many
of the talk has been uploaded here. Late May saw an online roundtable words of praise, which inspired us
The 21in21 calendar continued discussion, organised by the Society for to organise future such tours as well.
online with a 22 April 2021 panel Modern Greek Studies and entitled:
discussion, organised by The Hellenic ‘The Greek War of Independence
Institute, RHUL, and chaired by Dr in Greek Cinema: Themes, Forms,
Paris Papamichos Chronakis: ‘The Representations’. This late morning
Greek Revolution through the Eyes event on 28 May featured Dr Lydia
of Its “Others”’. The Greek War Papadimitriou in conversation with
of Independence (1821-1830) was Professors Vrasidas Karalis (Sydney)
a national revolution that fractured and Maria Stassinopoulou (Vienna).
existing patterns of multi-ethnic Greek cinema has dealt only
coexistence and generated instead sporadically with the Revolution of
strong and enduring images as much 1821. While emblematic events and
of the national self as of the new leading figures from the period made
nation’s ‘Others’. This panel took a their first screen appearance in the late
closer look at the understudied ways 1920s, Revolution-inspired fiction
in which some of Greece’s most films were made intermittently, mainly
prominent ‘Others’ have responded to in the late 1950s-60s and early 1970s.
the war and its legacy over the course This roundtable discussion explored
of the past two centuries. Moving key themes and recurrent forms in
away from Euro- and Graeco-centric the fictionalised representation of The tour group outside Agia Sophia
perspectives, the panel focused on the Greek War of Independence in
early nineteenth-century Albanian Greek cinema, such as depictions On 11 June, the 21in21 programme
warlords, interwar Sephardi Jews, of heroism, the role of women, the co-organised with the Hellenic Centre
and mid-twentieth-century Turkish regional geographies of Greece, an online presentation entitled ‘“The
historians and their engagement with stardom, and public memory. The Land of the Great, the Home of the
the Greek Revolution in the context of session was organised by Dr Liana Brave”: Echoes of the Greek War of
their own repositioning in the changing Giannakopoulou, Senior Research Independence on Stage’, delivered by
Ottoman and post-Ottoman worlds of Fellow, Faculty of MMLL and Dr Maria Georgopoulou, Director
Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Centre for Greek Studies, University of the Gennadius Library at the
Mediterranean. The speakers were: of Cambridge, and Dr Lydia American School of Classical Studies
Centre for Hellenic Studies Newsletter December 2021 | 3
in Athens. The talk focused on two and Stathis Kalyvas, Gladstone Candounas and co-organised with
theatrical plays written by American Professor of Government, All Souls King’s CHS, took place in Nicosia,
playwrights, Mordecai Noah and John College, University of Oxford. Cyprus. The lecture was delivered
Howard Payne, which were performed by Roderick Beaton, Emeritus
in New York and in London in 1822. Koraes Professor, whose title was
‘1821 and European Philhellenism’
The relaunch of the Runciman Award (in Greek). The Temporary
took place on 17 June 2021 and featured Exhibition Room of the Leventis
keynote speaker Professor Stathis Gallery in Nicosia was filled to
Kalyvas (Oxford), on the abiding capacity for this important event.
relevance of the Greek Revolution
of 1821: ‘Why the Greek Revolution On 20 October 2021, UCL’s School
still matters today’. This online of Slavonic and East European
event was organised by the Anglo- Studies joined in the 21in21
Hellenic League, which administers programme with a panel discussion
the Runciman Award, to which the entitled ‘Rethinking 1821: Greek
Leventis Foundation has generously Independence and Its Transnational
contributed. Dr John Kittmer, Chair Contexts’. The panel aimed to present
of the AHL, led the ceremony and Blue plaque celebrating Cavafy outside his new research on the events of 1821,
congratulated the winner, Roderick childhood home in Bayswater, London with a particular emphasis on their
Beaton, Emeritus Koraes Professor transnational and Balkan dimensions.
and author of the award-winning After the opening remarks delivered
book, Greece: Biography of a Modern AUTUMN 2021 by Wendy Bracewell, Professor of
Nation (2019). The work of Gonda This year’s Cyprus Lecture Series Southeast European History, UCL-
Van Steen and Joshua Barley, both took the form of an on-campus SSEES, three speakers delivered
from King’s, was included first in documentary film screening followed a paper each, followed by a Q&A
the longlist of ‘21 Books for 21’ and by a discussion with the producers and session. They were: Viron Karidis
then in the shortlist of seven finalists. presenter. Held on 9 October 2021 (London), Alex Drace-Francis
Professor Peter Frankopan surveyed in the Bush House Auditorium, the (University of Amsterdam), and
the field of longlisted and shortlisted Cyprus Lecture Series screening was Elisavet Papalexopoulou (European
books on behalf of the panel of co-organised by the Cultural Section University Institute). Their respective
judges. The event closed with an of the Cyprus High Commission in titles were ‘Greek Revolutionaries
acceptance speech by the winner. The the UK (www.culturalchc.co.uk) in Moldavia and Wallachia
Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman and CHS at King’s. Nikolas Manolis, (February - June 1821)’, ‘Tudor
Award is sponsored by the A.C. Chargé d’affaires, introduced the event Vladimirescu and His Transimperial
Laskaridis Charitable Foundation on behalf of His Excellency Andreas Connections (1806-1821)’, and
and the A.G. Leventis Foundation. Kakouris, High Commissioner for the ‘Female Fatherlands: Gendered
More information and a recording Republic of Cyprus to the UK. He also Patriotism and the Greek Revolution’.
of the event are available here. thanked Professor Gonda Van Steen,
Koraes Chair and CHS Director, The Cambridge Centre for Greek
On 24 June, the 21in21 programme and Dr Marios Psaras, Cultural Studies made its significant
and the Hellenic Observatory, LSE Counsellor at the High Commission, contribution to the 21in21 programme
presented a panel discussion called for continuing a long tradition of with a 22 October diptych of talks,
‘The Greek War of Independence: collaboration between King’s and coordinated and moderated by Dr
Re-Appraising Its Economic the High Commission, highlighting Liana Giannakopoulou, Senior
Legacies’. Chaired by Joan Roses, the importance of such events for Research Fellow, Faculty of MMLL
Professor in Economic History, LSE, the promotion of cultural exchange and Centre for Greek Studies,
the discussion pivoted on the central and dialogue between Cyprus University of Cambridge. Within the
questions and topics of: How far may and the UK. The award-winning framework of Greek Dialogues Online
the economic problems of the modern documentary Queens of Amathus, 21in21 and the specific topic of ‘The
Greek state be attributed to the nature produced by Panayiotis Panayiotou, Greek War of Independence in the
of its origins? Its small, albeit enlarging, sensitively treats the subject of Greek- Visual Arts and Literature’, Dr Aris
size; the lack of popular trust in public Cypriot families’ displacement from Sarafianos (University of Ioannina)
institutions and authority; the recourse Northern Cyprus and highlights the delivered a talk entitled ‘Cultural
to patrons and to ‘rent-seeking’; role of the strong Greek-Cypriot Diplomacy, Local Nationalism and
and its own vulnerability to external women in a decades-long history of the Birth of a Philhellenic Picture:
powers? Are these path-dependent adjustment to the city of Birmingham. Thomas Phillips’s “Albanian Portrait
features that overwhelm the scope The screening was following by a of Byron”’. Professor Dimitris
for change? This panel discussed the Q&A session with the producer, Plantzos (University of Athens)
legacy of 1821 for the course of the the presenter, Christina Savvas, and spoke on ‘Public Statues, National
development taken by modern Greece the production coordinator Petros Anniversaries, and the Winters of
and how it has structured options Kkolas, and was moderated by Dr Our Discontent’. Both thought-
and choices. When, and how, has or Marios Psaras. Approximately one provoking talks were beautifully
might such historical determinism hundred people attended and enjoyed illustrated and were also very well
be overcome? The speakers were: a reception afterwards in the Bush received. A lively discussion ensued.
Maria Christina Chatziioannou, House Arcade. Also in attendance On 28 October and in light of Ochi
Director of the Institute of Historical was MP Bambos Charalambous. Day, the Hellenic Observatory added
Research of the National Hellenic another critical event to the 21in21
Research Foundation; Andreas On 13 October 2021, the third events calendar: a panel discussion
Kakridis, Assistant Professor of Niki Marangou Annual Memorial chaired by Spyros Economides
Economic History, Ionian University; Lecture, sponsored by Mr Constantis (Associate Professor in International
4 | Centre for Hellenic Studies Newsletter December 2021
Relations and European Politics, first century? The discussion took programme may be accessed here.
LSE) on ‘The Geopolitics of Greece: its cue from Vezzoli’s current The conference was also accompanied
Continuities and Discontinuities’. exhibition, Paloscenici archeologici by the 2021 Leventis Exhibition, on
Geopolitics has always been invoked (‘Archaeological Stages’) at the display in the University of Edinburgh
as an explanation for Greek foreign UNESCO archaeological park Library, and entitled ‘Edina/Athena:
policy and its position in the European at Brescia (June 2021 – January The Greek Revolution and the
and broader international order. 2022). By bringing together an Athens of the North, 1821–2021’.
This event examined to what extent international panel of art historians, This exhibition opened on 29
the intersection of geography and archaeologists and curators, the October and will remain open until 29
politics accounts for Greece’s external event also explored the show’s larger January 2022. The display explores
relations and to what extent it provides artistic, conceptual and curatorial Scottish–Greek connections in the
a useful link for understanding context: the aim was not only to early nineteenth century and plays
Greece’s international position in 1821 initiate new dialogues between on the synchronicity of the Greek
and the 21st century. The speakers archaeology and contemporary art, Revolution and the emergence of the
were: Konstantina Botsiou (Associate but also to explore the past, present discourse of Edinburgh as the ‘Modern
Professor and Director of KEDIS, and future of classical traditions. Athens’ and ‘Athens of the North’.
University of the Peloponnese), Erik This online international event
Goldstein (Professor of International was part also of the ‘Modern On 26 November, The Hellenic
Relations and History, Boston Classicisms’ project at King’s, and Institute presented a panel called
University), and George Prevelakis was additionally supported by the ‘Imagining a Free Greece: British,
(Professor Emeritus, Sorbonne Jamie Rumble Memorial Fund. Cypriot and Russian Engagements’
University; Permanent Representative in the 21in21 series. This event, led
of Greece at the OECD). Our plan to tour the West Norwood by Dr Paris Papamichos Chronakis,
Greek Orthodox Cemetery had to be took as a point of departure the
revised, because the Greek section famous Ionian Academy established
of the cemetery is under restoration. by the great Philhellene Frederick
Instead, Dr Victoria Solomonidis- North, 5th Earl of Guilford (1766-
Hunter FKC (UCL), kindly offered 1827), which was the first university
a 6 November walking tour focusing established on Greek soil (1824-
on Cavafy in London, which she 1827). It explored the history of
called ‘C.P. Cavafy’s West London: intellectual movements that led to the
1870-1877: A Historic Walking liberation of the Greeks, including
Tour’ and for which she designed a the contribution of the Cypriots and
special brochure featuring her own the Greek communities in Britain and
drawings. She writes that the walk Russia. Professor Sakis Gekas (York
aimed to ‘illustrate the formative University, Toronto) delivered the
years that C.P. Cavafy spent in main lecture on Lord Guilford and
London as a young boy within British cultural politics in the Ionian
the closely linked cosmopolitan Islands. A panel discussion followed,
Greek community’, and that it with Professor Lucien Frary (Rider
provided insight into the ‘subsequent University, New Jersey) speaking
development of Κ.Π. Καβάφης, on Philhellenism and the Greek
Artwork by Francesco Vezzoli an Alexandrian Greek, into C.P. Diaspora in the Russian Empire, and
Cavafy, a Victorian gentleman, a Dr Chrysovalantis Kyriacou (Bank of
poet and a scholar, writing mostly in Cyprus Cultural Foundation / RHUL)
On 4 November 2021, CHS and Greek and cherished by audiences on Cyprus and Greek Cypriots in
Classics at King’s, in partnership around the globe to this day’. the Greek War of Independence.
with the Fondazione Brescia Musei, The group met at Queensborough
contributed an online panel discussion Terrace, Bayswater, to follow in the The 21st event in the 21in21 series
called ‘Classical/Contemporary: footsteps of the young Cavafy on this was a conference in honour of
In Conversation with Francesco walking tour that included Cavafy’s Roderick Beaton, Emeritus Koraes
Vezzoli’. The following speakers childhood home, the George J. Professor of Modern Greek and
engaged in a conversation with the Cavafy family home, the Aghia Byzantine History, Language and
renowned Italian artist Francesco Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Literature. The conference, entitled
Vezzoli: Dr Patch Crowley (Cantor the site of the former Hellenic ‘Byron, Philhellenism in Literature,
Center, Stanford University), Prof College, and the studio of Cavafy’s the Arts, and Scholarship’, was
Verity Platt (Cornell University), ‘cousin’, Maria Cassavetti-Zambaco. scheduled for 10-11 December but
Dr Letizia Ragaglia (Kunstmuseum had to be postponed until spring 2023,
Liechtenstein), Prof Salvatore From 18 through 20 November given the current Covid guidance.
Settis (Scuola Normale Superiore) 2021, King’s and other faculty took
and Prof Michael Squire (King’s part in the Twelfth A.G. Leventis All our public events are announced
College London). They addressed Conference in Hellenic Studies online, either at 21in21.co.uk or on the
the following themes: How might at the University of Edinburgh. CHS site. The archive of CHS events
classical art speak to contemporary Professors Niels Gaul and Roderick going back to 2013 may be accessed
concerns? In what ways can present- Beaton, A.G. Leventis Visiting here. Reminders are also regularly
day perspectives illuminate the Professor in Greek, organised the sent out by email to all who have
Greek and Roman past? And how conference and dedicated it to the registered their email address at chs@
can new dialogues between artists, art topic of ‘The Greek Revolution kcl.ac.uk. These venues also assist
historians and classical archaeologists of 1821: Contexts, Scottish us when sending out notifications
engage new – more diverse and Connections, the Classical of alternative arrangements due to
inclusive – audiences in the twenty- Tradition’. The full conference the ongoing COVID restrictions.
Centre for Hellenic Studies Newsletter December 2021 | 5
OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS IN 2021
In the year and a half during which our of Hellenic culture online’, our Hellenic You can enjoy the interviews here.
lives moved predominantly online, our Fridays posts offered our followers all
On 21 June 2021, the Katie Lentakis
weekly #HellenicFridays events on sorts of remote activities and learning
Memorial Fund Award Ceremony and
Twitter have become a crucial part of opportunities to fill their lockdown days.
Lecture took place at the Hellenic
our engagement. The posts included
Two interviews stand out, because we Centre, co-organised between the Anglo-
theatre such as Jermyn Street Theatre’s
hope to return to them in the post-covid Hellenic League and King’s Classics/
15 Heroines and the Actors of Dionysus’
future: one with Professor Dimitris CHS. This year’s Katie Lentakis Award
performance of Lysistrata; virtual
Papanikolaou (Oxford) on the BBC was presented to Hermione Dowling for
exhibitions from the Benaki Museum and
Greek Service (which was situated in her dissertation: ‘Classical Fans: How
the Great North Museum; concerts from
Bush House on the Strand from 1939 Does the Treatment of Mythological
the Hellenic Centre, such as the Greek
through 2005), and a follow-up panel Characters and Narrative in Euripides’
Fringe performance of Thracian-inspired
discussion on the same topic with Dr Helen and Hecuba Compare to Modern
music by the group Evritiki Zygia; film
Fiona Antonelaki, Postdoctoral Fellow Fan-fiction Authors’ Treatment of
festivals from London, San Francisco,
at Princeton University’s Seeger Center Original Characters and Narrative from
Los Angeles, and Berlin; and a whole host
for Hellenic Studies, who focused on the the BBC’s Merlin?’. Congratulations to
of panels, conferences and lectures,
modernist literary cultures of the BBC Hermione and to the two runners-up,
many of which can still be found online
Greek Service. Next, Dr Foteini Dimirouli Isabella Riglia and Eleanor Sheppard.
(including Joshua Barley’s translation
(Oxford) discussed the productions of the
of a Greek folk song, ‘The Return of the Poet, novelist, and King’s Professor Ruth
BBC Greek Service from the perspective
Long-Lost Husband’, podcast interviews Padel gave the annual Katie Lentakis
of Anglo-Greek cultural and literary
by Professor Gonda Van Steen and Dr lecture, entitled ‘Jane Harrison, Neuro-
relations. Lastly, Dr Anna-Maria Sichani
George Giannakopoulos, the ’21 Objects Anatomy, and What Was It Like to Live
(U of Sussex), who devoted her doctoral
for 21’ series of the British School at with Greek Gods?’ She brought together
work to literary productions of the BBC
Athens, the ’21 Quotes for 21’ series various strands of her work on Greek
Greek Service, elaborated on the Greek
of the Greek Embassy in London, and religion, Darwin and science, starting
modernists at the BCC. All three speakers
Professor Edith Hall and Dr Henry with her debt to Jane Harrison, the
took turns to delve deeply into the
Stead’s discussion of their publication, first woman to have an international
archives and the stunning photographic
A People’s History of Classics. As ‘slices profile as a Classics scholar.
materials related to the Greek Service.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2022
CHS continues to strengthen its work UK (GACUK) Lecture, organised least the UK-based speakers together
in the area of decolonising traditional by Dr Zetta Theodoropoulou- in an on-campus conference setting.
Hellenism and adding new critical Polychroniadis in collaboration The year 1922 is a key date in Greek
perspectives. The year 2022, itself an with CHS. Special tribute will be history but also in the history of Greek-
invitation to dissect the breakdown of paid to the late Mrs Matti Egon, the Turkish relations and in the history of
empires in 1922, offers an additional generous founder of the GACUK power structures in Europe, Russia,
incentive and impactful opportunity lectures and scholarships, who and the Eastern Mediterranean. On
for the Centre to enhance its never missed a Runciman Lecture the centenary of the Asia Minor
international and cross-cultural focus. or a GACUK Lecture. Matti was disaster, this conference and the
given the Honorary Fellowship of related publication project argue that
SAVE THE DATES the College in spring 2021, and we the Greek-Turkish conflict should be
24 and 31 January 2022, 17.00 have been awaiting an in-person understood in the wider context of
(UK): A diptych of panel discussions, opportunity to celebrate her life nationalist agitations, state-building
in collaboration with the British and her unwavering devotion to processes, imperial transformations,
School at Athens and Aiora Press, Anglo-Greek cultural understanding. and socio-economic upheavals across
on the topic of ‘Translation and lands and seas in flux: from Western
Inclusion versus Exclusion’. Among 16 March 2022: The Eighth Europe (Ireland), Central and Eastern
the speakers will be: Haris Psarras, Annual Rumble lecture, to be Europe, European and Asian Russia,
Mika Provata-Carlone, Claire delivered by Professor Dimitris to the Eastern Mediterranean and
Heywood, Therese Sellers, Ruth Plantzos (University of Athens) beyond. Using the Greek-Turkish
Padel, and Antonis Nikolopoulos war as a starting point, the project
(Soloup). The first session will 31 March – 1 April 2022: aims to place the events that followed
be chaired by David Holton and Conference ‘The Global 1922: the armistice of 1918 in a broader
the second by Gonda Van Steen. New Critical Reflections’ (partially international and transnational
online): approximately 60 UK and context and, conversely, use this
3 February 2022, 18.00 (UK): The international scholars have responded wider frame to better understand
31st Annual Runciman Lecture, to our call for papers, to present at a the transformations on a local level.
to be given by Margaret Mullett, 2-day conference called ‘The Global
Professor Emerita Queen’s University 1922: New Critical Reflections’ and The academic scope of this conference
Belfast, on the topic of ‘Hybrid by organised by the Centre for Hellenic is to probe our knowledge about the
Nature: Experiment and Innovation Studies in collaboration with the events of 1922 by delving into new
in Twelfth-century Literature’. SMH Centre for the History of War perspectives, multilingual archives,
and other partners. Our scheduled global approaches, innovative
March 2022 (TBC): The biannual conference will have a large online methodologies, etc. The conference
Greek Archaeological Committee component, but we aim to bring at will be especially welcoming to
6 | Centre for Hellenic Studies Newsletter December 2021junior and early career scholars from Modern Greek Studies Association. between the Anglo-Hellenic
various disciplines and backgrounds. 16 June 2022, 19.00 (UK): The League and King’s Classics/CHS.
One of CHS’s visiting research Runciman Award Ceremony,
fellows, Dr George Giannakopoulos, organised by the Anglo-Hellenic 28 October 2022: The Fourth
plays a lead role in organising the League, and to be held in the Great Annual Niki Marangou Memorial
conference and in compiling the Hall at King’s Strand campus. Lecture will be given by the
papers and preparing them for Greek diplomat Dr Catherine
publication. Dr Giannakopoulos 27 June 2022: The Katie Lentakis Bouras on King’s Strand campus.
was also successful in attracting a Memorial Fund Award Ceremony
$1,000 Innovation Grant from the and Lecture, co-organised
NEWS ABOUT DIGITAL PROJECTS
The year 2021 has seen considerable Bologna and the British School at Rome. Inscriptions of the Northern Black
progress on various digital projects Professor Roueché has also various Sea’ and is currently developing a new
throughout the Department of Classics other digital projects underway, including project with them, entitled ‘The Language
and CHS. Professor Emerita Charlotte ‘Prosopography of the Byzantine World’ in of Greek Religion’. Both Professor
Roueché, alongside Joyce Reynolds, collaboration with Niels Gaul (Edinburgh) Roueché and Dr Polinskaya advocate
Gabriel Bodard, and Catherine Dobias- and with the Austrian Academy. She for the importance of such projects in
Lalou, has published ‘Inscriptions of has been in talks with the British training graduate students in digital skills.
Roman Cyrenaica’. She is now working on International Research Institutes on how
Also working with King’s Digital
‘Inscription of Roman Tripolitania 2021’, to develop and foster such resources.
Lab, Professor Henrik Mouritsen
with a grant from the Libyan Society
Dr Irene Polinskaya continues to work brought to completion the ‘Digital
and in collaboration with the Institute
with King’s Digital Lab on ‘Ancient Prosopography of the Roman Republic’.
of Classical Studies, the University of
PEOPLE
NEW DIRECTIONS Liberal Arts for the duration of three will be a great loss to the Department,
Both Eleftherios Kefalas and years: Dr Ellen Adams, recently having been here since 2012, and to
Martha Papaspiliou defended promoted to Reader in Classical the London community, since she
their PhD dissertation in the 20- Archaeology and Liberal Arts, Dr joined Royal Holloway in 2006.
21 academic year. Lefteris wrote James Corke-Webster, Senior
on ‘Renos Apostolidis’ Critique of Lecturer in Classics, History and On 7 May 2021, the 2020 London
Post-War Greece: A Life in Letters Liberal Arts, and Dr Emily Pillinger, Hellenic Prize, established in 1996 as
(1945–1965)’. Martha pursued the Senior Lecturer in Classics and the Criticos Prize, was awarded to The
topic of ‘“Literary” Monuments to Liberal Arts. Dr Pillinger reports that Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro (Methuen
National Heroes (1830s-1870s): her article on Xenakis, ‘The Music of Drama/Bloomsbury), edited by our
Literature, Cultural Memory and the Iannis Xenakis’ Estranged Kassandra’ very own Dr Rosa Andújar. This
Making of Greek National Identity’. was recently published by CRJ in an collection publishes for the first time
open-access format. It was fostered the three Greek plays by Mexican-
Dr Alexandra Vukovich, whose by CHS-organised events, including American playwright Luis Alfaro.
research has focused on Byzantium, the conference at the British School Inspired by Sophocles’ Electra,
the late medieval Balkans, and Rus/ at Athens in 2015, ‘Music, Language Oedipus Rex and Euripides’ Medea,
Muscovy, will be joining King’s and Identity in Modern Greece’. Alfaro’s Electricidad, Oedipus el Rey,
History Department in January of and Mojada transplant ancient themes
2022. Her current research explores Dr Corke-Webster reports that and problems into the 21st-century
state formation and the transmission he and Christa Gray published streets of Los Angeles and New
of political ideas in the Slavonic and The Hagiographical Experiment: York, in order to voice the concerns
Byzantine literary traditions in the late Developing Discourses of of Latinx communities in the United
medieval period. She also delves into Sainthood, Supplements to Vigiliae States. The book contains several
historiography and the reception of Christianae (Leiden: Brill, 2020). contextualising essays by Dr Andújar
ideas about the medieval past through which draw on her expertise in Greek
narrative and the built landscape. Our Classics/CHS colleague Dr tragedy and its rich reception history,
Irene Polinskaya, recently promoted as well as a range of supplementary
Dr Bobby Xinyue has been appointed to Reader in Ancient History, has material which enhances
as the Classics Department’s new become the Faculty’s new Pro Vice understanding of Alfaro’s plays.
Lecturer in Ancient Greek and Latin Dean for Research Culture. In the last
Language and Literature for one round of academic promotions, Dr NEWS FROM CHS STAFF AND COMMITTEE
year. He is about to complete his Arlene Holmes-Henderson became MEMBERS
monograph, Politics and Divinization Senior Research Fellow in Classics Roderick Beaton FBA, Emeritus
in Augustan Poetry (OUP), which Education. Dr Dan Orrells was Koraes Professor of Modern Greek
offers a new interpretation of the promoted to Professor of Classics, and and Byzantine History, Language and
theme of Augustus’ divinization Will Wootton to Reader in Classical Literature, won the Anglo-Hellenic
as a language of political Art and Archaeology. Professor League’s Runciman Award 2021 for
science for the Augustan poets. Edith Hall has accepted a new Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation
position at Durham University, where (Allen Lane/Penguin 2019). In
Three Classics colleagues have she will take on a Professorship of winning the award for a fourth time,
received 0.5FTE secondments to Classics starting in January 2022. She Roderick has set a new record of
Centre for Hellenic Studies Newsletter December 2021 | 7achievement. Greece: Biography of a the 2020 Duff Cooper Prize. Postponed in Modern Greece’, which took
Modern Nation also won the Daedalus until post-COVID times is Professor place at the Athens Conservatoire
Award 2020 from the Greek Society Herrin’s international conference, on 24 November 2021, the first
of Authors (Εταιρεία Συγγραφέων), ‘Power and Images: Ravenna in of a series of events celebrating
which recognised the author’s ‘multi- a Comparative Perspective’. Her the Conservatoire’s 150 years of
faceted contributions to learning and current work and also the future contributions to the cultural life of
to cultural communication’. The conference are generously supported Greece. The symposium also marked
same book was shortlisted for the by the Ahmanson Foundation. the occasion of the publication of the
London Hellenic Prize and for the paperback edition of the collective
Cundill History Prize. Roderick has CHS Visiting Fellow Dr Anastasia volume Music, Language and Identity
been a sought-after interviewee for Lemos published the article ‘Echoes in Greece: Defining a National Art
numerous press and documentary film across the National Divide: Common Music in the Nineteenth and Twentieth
venues in Greece and Cyprus. From Topoi in the Turkish Literature of the Centuries (Routledge 2020), edited
December 2019, he served on the War of Independence and the Greek by Polina Tambakaki, Panos
Greece 2021 Committee chaired by Literature of the Asia Minor Disaster’ Vlagopoulos, Katerina Levidou, and
Ms Gianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki. in the 2021 Journal of Academic Roderick Beaton, together with the
For his many ongoing contributions, Studies in World Language, Literature publication of the accompanying CD
Roderick was honoured with a and Translation. The article will be ‘Harmony’, with rare works by Greek
Vardinoyannis Award for Culture in included in a volume to be published composers from the Conservatoire’s
September 2021 and was similarly by Koç University as well. She further archive. Building on her research as
honoured by the annual publication contributed to the ‘Ion Dragoumis Niki Marangou Fellow (2016-2018),
EPILOGOS in December. In between East and West’ exhibition Polina recently published an article
September he took up his appointment at the Gennadeion with a section on entitled ‘Women of Cyprus and
as A.G. Leventis Visiting Professor of the Turkish literary movement of the “World Literature”: Niki Marangou
Greek at the University of Edinburgh early 20th century known as Neo- and Constantia Soteriou’ (in Greek).
(until December 2021). There, he Hellenism, which she also covered She further submitted the manuscript
co-organised (with Niels Gaul) the in a lecture titled ‘With the Gaze of Brill’s Companion to Classical
Twelfth A.G. Leventis Conference in Turned Westward: Neo-Hellenism, Reception and Modern World Poetry,
Hellenic Studies (see above, p. 5), and a Literary Movement in Turkey which she edited and which will
will co-edit a volume of essays based at the Time of the Balkan Wars’. be published in 2022. Polina also
on the papers given, to be published Together with Olympia Pappa, she contributed, in addition to the
by Edinburgh University Press. co-curated the exhibition ‘1821: introduction, a chapter on George
During the anniversary year he was Visions of Freedom, the Hand of Seferis. She has been working on a
commissioned by Aiora Publications Zographos, the Mind of Makriyannis, monograph on Seferis and antiquity,
(Athens) to publish a short booklet the Zeal of Gennadius’, held at the and on one dealing with Manos
entitled The Greek Revolution of Hellenic Centre in London. She Hadjidakis and Greek poetry.
1821 and Its Global Significance, is currently preparing material for Together with Stefanos Geroulanos
which appeared in English in July the commemorative exhibitions and John Kittmer, Polina is making
and in Greek in September. His on the Asia Minor Disaster to be progress on the edited volume
book-length overview of Greek held in the Gennadius Library C.P. Cavafy: Poetics and Reception
history from the Bronze Age to the and the Benaki Museum in 2022. – Music, History and the Arts.
present day, entitled The Greeks:
A Global History, was published in Emeritus Professor David Ricks Koraes Professor Gonda Van Steen
November by Basic Books (New published, with his King’s colleague celebrated the publication of the
York) and Faber (London) and will Rosa Mucignat, a book chapter, Greek translation of her book on
be launched on 30 March 2022. ‘The Revolution and the Romantic the Cold War Greek adoption
Imagination: Echoes in European history: Ζητούνται παιδιά από την
Dr George Giannakopoulos, Literature’. A published version of Ελλάδα: Υιοθεσίες στην Αμερική
Visiting Research Fellow with CHS, his 2020 Runciman Lecture, ‘The του Ψυχρού Πολέμου (translator
published an important article in Shot Heard round the World’, is Ariadni Loukakou). The Greek
Jacobin magazine, entitled ‘Greece’s in press. He also gave the Society version appeared in November 2021
Fight for Independence Was Part of for Modern Greek Studies Annual with Potamos Publishers. Gonda also
a Global Revolutionary Movement’. Lecture on the Greek poetry of contributed a 33-page article to a
1920, and he served once again as special issue on the history of adoption
Professor Emerita Judith Herrin has co-convenor of the Michaelmas of the Annales de démographie
been studying the role of Ravenna in Term Classical Reception Seminar historique, and she published the
mediating the interactions between in Oxford, this year on the theme keynote address that she gave at the
Byzantine and Western Medieval of ‘Receptions and Comparatisms’. Sixth Panhellenic Conference in
culture. Her latest book, Ravenna: Theatre Studies, entitled ‘Sophocles’
Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe Dr Polina Tambakaki reported on a Oedipus: Acting on Knowledge
(Penguin), appeared in 2020 and won recent symposium called ‘Art Music of Performance and Adoption’.
PEOPLE AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE CENTRE FOR HELLENIC STUDIES IN 2022
• Director: Professor Gonda Van Steen, Dept. of Classics, King’s College London, Northwing B3, Strand, London WC2R 2LS,
email: gonda.van_steen@kcl.ac.uk and classics@kcl.ac.uk
• Nomikos Postdoctoral Fellow: Dr Peter Swallow, email: peter.swallow@kcl.ac.uk
• Visiting Research Fellow and Organiser of ‘The Global 1922’: Dr George Giannakopoulos, email: georgios.giannakopoulos@kcl.ac.uk
• Direct questions and requests to receive this annual newsletter via email to chs@kcl.ac.uk
• Centre for Hellenic Studies website • Collaborative event website • Follow us: /kingschs @kingschs
This newsletter was published by the Centre for Hellenic Studies in December 2021. Design: CHS, King’s College London.You can also read
