The History of Mermaids, Sea Spirits & Women

Mermaids and sea creatures of various kinds have existed in legends and myths from coastal areas all over the world. They are often, though not always, female, and their gender also performs an ambiguous role in relation to human models of femininity, womanhood, and heterosexuality; mermaids, selkies, and female sea creatures can uncannily be familiar and unfamiliar, charming and repulsive, caring and deadly. 

While the female sea spirits’ elusiveness is in common with many supernatural monsters, it also reflects a double set of anxieties about Women and Nature, and, particularly, the marine world, where both resist definition and control by patriarchal and western anthropocentric frames of mind.

Doors open at 6:30pm, Last Entry at 7pm, Talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Speaker Bio:

Dr Monica Germanà is a Reader in Gothic and Contemporary Studies at the University of Westminster and co-president of the International Gothic Association. She is a leading authority on the Gothic imagination - particularly the ways gender, identity, and the uncanny intersect in literature and culture. Her pioneering first monograph, Scottish Women's Gothic and Fantastic Writing (2010), broke new ground in the field, and her work continues to shape how we understand the darker currents running beneath storytelling across the centuries. If anyone can take you from ancient sea goddess to modern mermaid mythology - and make it utterly gripping along the way - it's her.

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This talk is 16+. All under 18s must be accompanied by an adult, and all under 25s may require government issued photo ID.

For accessibility requirements, please contact the venue with any accessibility requirements or visit https://www.glee.co.uk/accessibility/ before booking. Spaces may be limited and will be sold on a first come first served basis. You can call: 0121 693 2248 (Mon-Sun 12-6pm) or email [email protected] with your access requirements and the show you wish to see in order to make a booking. Disabled Access is available by lift.

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