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Re-Reading William Shakespeare

Where should critical thinking about Shakespeare be heading now? At a colloquium on Saturday 7 May, organised by Professor Alison Findlay (Department of English and Creative Writing) academic speakers from across the UK met to outline the debate with responses from Professor Terry Eagleton. The event, which commemorated the publication of Professor Eagleton's book William Shakespeare, twenty five years ago, was opened by Dr Robert Appelbaum (Head of Department). It featured papers by Professor John Drakakis (University of Stirling), Mr Steven Gregg (currently researching a PhD at Lancaster), Professor Marion Wynne-Davies (University of Surrey), Dr Liz Oakley-Brown (Lancaster University), Dr Kathleen O'Leary (St Helen's College), Professor Richard Wilson (University of Cardiff) and Professor Peter Womack (University of East Anglia). Held at the Storey Creative Industries Centre, it was attended by members of the Northern Renaissance Seminar; by staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students from Lancaster University; teachers, lecturers and students from local schools and colleges.

Participants explored the continuing value of theoretical approaches to Shakespeare, following the principles set out by Eagleton in 1986. Lively discussion of Shakespeare's representations of sovereignty, language, value, gender, bodies and spirits focussed on texts from across the canon. Words from The Tempest, 'what's past is prologue, what to come / In yours and my discharge' (2.1.248-9) allowed delegates to think the future and to the British Shakespeare Association Conference which will be held at Lancaster University from 24-6 February 2012. See http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/english/events/forthcoming_events.htm