Ancient narrative: representation, anticipation, and teleology

Bristol and Heidelberg have strong mutually complementing research and teaching interests in ancient narrative and narratology. Heidelberg is currently the centre of a major ERC project on ‘Experience and Teleology in Ancient Narrative’ (AncNar) involving a team of 5 experts: Domainko (time, narrative and history), Grethlein (Project Director: Greek and Roman historiography, biography and autobiography), Huitink (criticism and rhetoric), Lenz (drama and dialogue), Tagliabue (Pagan, Jewish and Christian texts). Bristol has overlapping and supplementary expertise in: narrative myth and history (Fowler); ancient and modern narrative theory (Liveley); visual and cinematic narrative, ancient and modern (Michekalis); theoretical and philosophical approaches to historiographical narrative structures and rhetorical techniques (Morley).

The proposed activities centre around a one-day workshop involving presentations from researchers at both universities; alongside networking opportunities for staff and postgraduates. The draft agenda for the workshop will include:

AM: Two sets of themed presentations and plenary discussion: annotating a large mind map for emerging themes and priorities, questions, empirical sites, resources and next steps
PM: Review of themes emerging: defining those we would like to pursue further, split into groups to address these. Discussion of specific research possibilities and funding opportunities.