Old English Masterclass at the British Library

Come along to the British Library for an Old English Masterclass, and encounter the language of the Anglo Saxons.

The two-day course runs from 28-29 April, 10.30am to 5pm both days. 

Explore Old English in its cultural context and develop skills in analysing and drawing meaning from set texts through accessible exercises and close reading.

Trace the journey of the English language and explore the perils and pleasures of studying a dead language which only survives in a limited number of manuscripts.

Students will study short sections of prose in Old English and, as the group's confidence grows, transition to verse, in particular short passages from the epic masterpiece Beowulf. Rather than attempting to learn tables of grammar, students will be given a sense of its intricacies by using texts which have an attached glossary, allowing them to unpick the dynamics of an inflected language like Old English, that is, to appreciate the musical richness of the original, while also giving you a sense of its meaning.

Price: £185/ £157 British Library member/ £167 senior/ £157 student/unemployed/ Friend of the British Library.

Book at the British Library website.