Dante Reading Group

This Michaelmas Term, we embark on a collaborative reading of Dante Alighieri’s epic work the Commedia (commonly known as the Divine Comedy), beginning with the first canticle of Inferno.

Dante stands among the most influential and widely read authors in western literature, and his poem rewards readers with insights into a medieval world that often appears just as familiar as it does strange in its depiction of human experience. Join us in sharing Dante's vision as we accompany him on his ultra-terrestrial itinerary, meeting souls whose challenges on earth still resemble our own.

No prior knowledge of Dante or Italian is required, and we will read the poem in English translation, paying close attention to Dante's cultural and historical context as well as to his poetic strategies. Readers of all backgrounds and disciplines are welcome and are encouraged to find and reflect upon the poem’s enduring relevance for themselves and for readers in the 21st century.

The group will meet every two weeks during term starting on Thursday, 21st September 2023 at 12:00 at the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation, 36 Fenian St, Dublin, D02 CH22. Readers are asked to commit to attending the fortnightly sessions consistently and for the full year.

Please remember to register for each session.

The basic text we will use is: . (Note it is not the entire Divine Comedy, but the dual language edition of Inferno + notes).

Sessions are led by Dante scholar and Fellow Emeritus and , an IRC Government of Ireland Scholar in Comparative Literature (German/Italian).

Organised by Corinna Salvadori Lonergan, Céline Thobois-Gupta and John Walsh, in collaboration with the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation.

Cover and flyer graphic design by Oliver Holmgren

Host or Publisher Trinity Centre for Literary & Cultural Translation