Professor Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London
Professor Trevor Dadson FBA, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Yorgos Dedes, SOAS, University of London
Thu 9 Nov 2017 09:30 to Sat 11 Nov 2017 17:00
The first two days of the event will be held at the British Academy and the final day at SOAS. Further details and registration can be found here:
The conference is intended to generate the first comparative overview of the extent to which Neoplatonist philosophy has permeated poetic forms, styles, themes and figurative language as well as poetic theory in seven principal languages of the greater Mediterranean region, from late antiquity to the modern period. Listed in alphabetical order, they are Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Persian, Spanish and Turkish. The findings are intended to result in a major publication which will shed light on the significance of Neoplatonism as a cross-cultural phenomenon which links the literary traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Speakers include:
Professor Walter Andrews, University of Seattle
Professor Leili Anvar, INALCO, Paris
Dr James Binns FBA, University of York
Dr Abigail Brundin, University of Cambridge
Dr Alessandro Cancian, Ismaili Institute, London
Professor Christina D’Ancona, University of Pisa
Dr Neslihan Demirkol, Ankara Social Sciences University
Professor Carl W. Ernst, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professor Ferial J. Ghazoul, The American University in Cairo
Dr Didem Havlioğlu, Duke University
Dr David Hernández de la Fuente, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid
Professor Mehmet Kalpaklı, Bilkent University, Ankara
Professor Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak, University of Maryland
Dr Alexander Matthew Key, Stanford University
Dr Kazuyo Murata, King’s College, London
Professor Johannes Niehoff-Panagiotidis, Freie Universität Berlin
Professor Terence O’Reilly, University College, Cork
Professor David Ricks, King’s College, London
Professor Claudio Rodríguez Fer, University of Santiago de Compostela
Professor John Roe, University of York
Dr Adena Tanenbaum, Ohio State University
Professor Richard Taylor, Marquette University
Professor Colin Thompson, University of Oxford
Professor Julian Weiss, King’s College, London
Dr Joachim Yeshaya, University of Leuven
Thursday, 9 November 2017
09.00 Registration and refreshments
Session One: From Greek Beginnings to Arabic and Hebrew
To examine the beginnings of Neoplatonist poetics in Greek and its emergence in Arabic and Hebrew
Chairs: Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London and Trevor Dadson, Queen Mary, University of London
09.15 Introduction: Background, Scope and Aim of Conference
09.40 Keynote Address
Richard Taylor, Marquette University
10.30 Refreshments
09.00 Registration and refreshments
Session One: From Greek Beginnings to Arabic and Hebrew
To examine the beginnings of Neoplatonist poetics in Greek and its emergence in Arabic and Hebrew
Chairs: Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London and Trevor Dadson, Queen Mary, University of London
09.15 Introduction: Background, Scope and Aim of Conference
09.40 Keynote Address
Richard Taylor, Marquette University
10.30 Refreshments
11.00 Are Neoplatonists Neoplatonic in their Poetics?
Alexander Matthew Key, Stanford University
11.45 Andalusian Hebrew Poems on the Soul and their Afterlife Adena Tanenbaum, Ohio State University
12.30 Lunch
Session Two: The Ascent of the Soul
To compare and contrast the portrayal of the soul’s ascent in texts of different linguistic and religious provenance
Chair: James Montgomery, University of Cambridge (tbc)
13.30 Neoplatonist Concepts in 13th Century Arabic Mystical Poetry Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London
14.15 Neoplatonism in Attar’s Conference of the Birds Leila Anvar, INALCO, Paris
15.00 Refreshments
15.30 Nostro intelletto si profonda tanto. Paradiso, I 8 and its Philosophical Background
Christina d’Ancona, University of Pisa
16.15 The Ascent of the Soul: Neo‐Platonic Themes in the Literature of the Golden Age of Spain
Colin Thompson, University of Oxford 17.00 Close of first day
11.45 Andalusian Hebrew Poems on the Soul and their Afterlife Adena Tanenbaum, Ohio State University
12.30 Lunch
Session Two: The Ascent of the Soul
To compare and contrast the portrayal of the soul’s ascent in texts of different linguistic and religious provenance
Chair: James Montgomery, University of Cambridge (tbc)
13.30 Neoplatonist Concepts in 13th Century Arabic Mystical Poetry Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London
14.15 Neoplatonism in Attar’s Conference of the Birds Leila Anvar, INALCO, Paris
15.00 Refreshments
15.30 Nostro intelletto si profonda tanto. Paradiso, I 8 and its Philosophical Background
Christina d’Ancona, University of Pisa
16.15 The Ascent of the Soul: Neo‐Platonic Themes in the Literature of the Golden Age of Spain
Colin Thompson, University of Oxford 17.00 Close of first day
Friday, 10 November 2017
09.00
Session Three: from Late Antiquity to Byzantium and the Ottoman World
To illustrate continuity and change in the poetic reception of Platonist concepts in the Eastern Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to Ottoman times
Chair: James Binns, University of York
Johannes Niehoff‐Panagiotidis, Freie Universität Berlin
To illustrate continuity and change in the poetic reception of Platonist concepts in the Eastern Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to Ottoman times
Chair: James Binns, University of York
Johannes Niehoff‐Panagiotidis, Freie Universität Berlin
Hymn of the Pearl and Chaldaean Oracles: Platonism on the Border between Monism and Dualism, Imperial Centuries and Late Antiquity, Greek and Syriac
09.45 Neoplatonism and Poetics in Late Antique and Byzantine Literature
David Hernández de la Fuente, Universidad Nactional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid
10.30 Refreshments
11.00 ‘A Soul, Splendid by the Glory of God’: Karaite Poems about the Nature of the Soul from the Muslim East and Byzantium Joachim Yeshaya, University of Leuven
11.45 Ottoman Poetry: Where the Neoplatonic Dissolves into an Emotional Script for Life.
Walter Andrews, University of Washington (tbc)
12.30 Lunch
Session Four: Neoplatonism and Gender Identity in Early Modern Love Lyric
To illustrate and compare relevant examples of 16th century Italian, Spanish and English verse
Chair: tbc
13.30 Neoplatonic Discourse and Ottoman Women Poets: Negotiation, Legitimation and Subversion
Didem Havlioğlu, Duke University
14.15 Beyond the Courts: Neoplatonism in Sixteenth‐Century Italian Poetic Culture Abigail Brundin, University of Cambridge
15.00 Refreshments
10.30 Refreshments
11.00 ‘A Soul, Splendid by the Glory of God’: Karaite Poems about the Nature of the Soul from the Muslim East and Byzantium Joachim Yeshaya, University of Leuven
11.45 Ottoman Poetry: Where the Neoplatonic Dissolves into an Emotional Script for Life.
Walter Andrews, University of Washington (tbc)
12.30 Lunch
Session Four: Neoplatonism and Gender Identity in Early Modern Love Lyric
To illustrate and compare relevant examples of 16th century Italian, Spanish and English verse
Chair: tbc
13.30 Neoplatonic Discourse and Ottoman Women Poets: Negotiation, Legitimation and Subversion
Didem Havlioğlu, Duke University
14.15 Beyond the Courts: Neoplatonism in Sixteenth‐Century Italian Poetic Culture Abigail Brundin, University of Cambridge
15.00 Refreshments
15.30 Italian Neoplatonism and Sixteenth‐Century English Verse
John Roe, University of York
16.15 Negotiating Difference: Neoplatonism and the Discourse of Desire in the Early Modern Spanish Love Lyric Julian Weiss, King’s College, University of London
17.00 Close of second day
16.15 Negotiating Difference: Neoplatonism and the Discourse of Desire in the Early Modern Spanish Love Lyric Julian Weiss, King’s College, University of London
17.00 Close of second day
Saturday, 11 November 2017
(Please note that this third day is being held at SOAS and that separate registration is required)
Session Five: Neoplatonist Poetics and Mysticism in Spain and the Indo‐ Persian world
To examine mystical concepts of possible Neoplatonist provenance in the works of major poets writing in Persian and Spanish
Chair: Alessandro Cancian, Ismaili Institute, London
09.00 Poetry and Ishraqi Illuminationism among the Esoteric Zoroastrians of Mughal India
Carl W Ernst, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
09.45 Neoplatonic and Sufi Approaches to Beauty: The Cases of Plotinus and Rūzbihān Baqlī
Kazuyo Murata, King’s College, University of London
10.30 Refreshments
11.00 The Christian Neoplatonism of Francisco de Aldana in the Carta para Arias Montano
Terence O’Reilly, University College, Cork
11.45 La erótica del infinito: Neoplatonismo, Cábala y Sufismo en la obra de José Ángel Valente
Claudio Rodríguez Fer, University of Santiago de Compostela
12.30 Lunch
Session Six: Modern Echoes in Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Greek
To illustrate the persistence of Neoplatonic themes in selected examples of modern poetry
Chair: Yorgos Dedes, SOAS, University of London
13.30 Neoplatonist Relics in Modern Persian Poetry Ahmad Karimi‐Hakkak, University of Maryland
14.15 The New Image of the Beloved in the Old Mirror: Reflections of Neoplatonic Tradition in Modern Turkish Poetry
Mehmet Kalpaklı & Neslihan Demirkol, Bilkent University Istanbul and Ankara Social University
15.00 Refreshments
(Please note that this third day is being held at SOAS and that separate registration is required)
Session Five: Neoplatonist Poetics and Mysticism in Spain and the Indo‐ Persian world
To examine mystical concepts of possible Neoplatonist provenance in the works of major poets writing in Persian and Spanish
Chair: Alessandro Cancian, Ismaili Institute, London
09.00 Poetry and Ishraqi Illuminationism among the Esoteric Zoroastrians of Mughal India
Carl W Ernst, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
09.45 Neoplatonic and Sufi Approaches to Beauty: The Cases of Plotinus and Rūzbihān Baqlī
Kazuyo Murata, King’s College, University of London
10.30 Refreshments
11.00 The Christian Neoplatonism of Francisco de Aldana in the Carta para Arias Montano
Terence O’Reilly, University College, Cork
11.45 La erótica del infinito: Neoplatonismo, Cábala y Sufismo en la obra de José Ángel Valente
Claudio Rodríguez Fer, University of Santiago de Compostela
12.30 Lunch
Session Six: Modern Echoes in Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Greek
To illustrate the persistence of Neoplatonic themes in selected examples of modern poetry
Chair: Yorgos Dedes, SOAS, University of London
13.30 Neoplatonist Relics in Modern Persian Poetry Ahmad Karimi‐Hakkak, University of Maryland
14.15 The New Image of the Beloved in the Old Mirror: Reflections of Neoplatonic Tradition in Modern Turkish Poetry
Mehmet Kalpaklı & Neslihan Demirkol, Bilkent University Istanbul and Ankara Social University
15.00 Refreshments
16.15 Neo‐Platonists in Modern Greek Poetry David Ricks, King’s College, University of London
17.00 Conclusion and Summing Up
Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London, Trevor Dadson FBA, Queen Mary
University of London and Yorgos Dedes, SOAS, University of London
17.00 Conclusion and Summing Up
Stefan Sperl, SOAS, University of London, Trevor Dadson FBA, Queen Mary
University of London and Yorgos Dedes, SOAS, University of London
http://www.britac.ac.uk/events/faces-infinite-neoplatonism-and-poetics-confluence-africa-asia-and-europe
Dr Abigail Brundin
Reader in Early Modern Literature and Culture
Department of Italian
University of Cambridge
Direct Line: +44 (0)1223 338305
