Figures of power, insight and beauty, these three great goddesses of Greek mythology continue to be rich sources for the cultural imagination today. Through conversation, poetry and music we will invoke the characters of bright-eyed Athena, Artemis of the wild, and laughter-loving Aphrodite, each a remarkable and generative mythical being. We’ll delve into the paradoxes and mysteries of the goddesses, the ancient origins, and their renewed life in contemporary art and literature.

Edith Hall

Speaker

Edith Hall has published 34 books on ancient Greece and Rome and their continuing presences, most recently Tony Harrison: Poet of Radical Classicism (2021) and A People’s History of Classics (2020). In addition to her work as professor of Classics at Durham University and as a Fellow of the British Academy, she blogs and broadcasts on radio and television, has consulted the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre in London, and campaigned for classical content in the British state school sector. Edith was awarded the Erasmus Medal of the European Academy, an honorary doctorate from the University of Athens, and is an honorary citizen of Palermo.

Edith is on Twitter at @edithmayhall.

Corinne Jaber

Artist

Corinne Jaber’s work as an award-winning actress, writer and director spans the globe, from her involvement in multiple international theatre productions in French and English languages – among them, Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata – to her years of work with Afghan actors in Kabul on Shakespeare, which culminated in performances for the Globe Theatre in London as part of the Globe to Globe Festival. Corinne is currently in post-production as producer and director for her play-turned-film Borderlines, centred on the Partition of India, and her latest play Munich Medea: Happy Family will premiere in New York in 2023-24.

Leo Abrahams

Artist

Leo Abrahams is a guitarist, producer and composer, whose dexterity for discovering new sounds and passion for the music-making process has established him among the most respected collaborators in the music industry. Perhaps best known for his long-term association with Brian Eno, he has worked with a huge variety of artists from Gavin Bryars and Anna Meredith to Harry Styles and Imogen Heap. He has appeared on nearly 500 albums including eight of his own, the most recent being the Scene Memory II – a collection of solo guitar improvisations.

Leo is on Instagram at @leoabrahams.

Brigid Hains

Host

Brigid Hains is the editorial director of Aeon Media. An environmental historian by training, she is driven by a deep curiosity about the natural and human worlds. The Sophia Club is a chance for Brigid to express her love of beauty and the arts and to share the heartfelt dimensions of her intellectual life.