The League’s annual event in Greece will take place in Athens in partnership with the British School at Athens. Prof. Islam Issa, whose book Alexandria: The City that Changed the World (London: Sceptre, 2023) won the Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award 2024, will speak about ‘The Alexandrian Dream’.
Alexandria was created from scratch, not through war or geographical division. The power of vision and the will to dream were key to the city's conception and the formation of its subsequent character. As it maintained its position as a trading centre, transport hub and knowledge capital, millions of people — from powerful rulers to simple labourers — have been attracted to the Alexandrian Dream, whether by moving to its shores or by reminiscing on an imagined Alexandria.
There will be opportunities for Q&A after the lecture. A wine reception will follow.
Islam Issa is an award-winning British-Egyptian author, broadcaster and curator, named by the BBC as ‘one of the UK's most significant new thinkers’. He is Professor of Literature and History at Birmingham City University, has written several academic books and curated internationally renowned exhibitions. As well as contributing to the Guardian, New Statesman and Times Literary Supplement, he has presented and featured in television and radio documentaries on the BBC and Netflix.
Islam Issa’s award-winning Alexandria: The City that Changed the World was praised by Prof. Judith Mossman, the chair of the 2024 Runciman judges, as ‘a little like the city it describes: teeming, sprawling, full of life and sunshine, learned and above all a place for many cultures to meet and mingle. It is a wonderfully personal history by an Alexandrian which celebrates the fertility of the city’s hybrid personality, the continuing relevance of its Hellenic origin and its unique contribution to the world. It’s a joyous read, full of fascinating detail, and a gentle humour.’
This event will take place in person at the BSA (6pm EET) and online (6pm EET / 4pm GMT).
To register to attend in person, click here.
To register to watch the livestreamed Zoom webinar, click here.
A recording of the event will subsequently be uploaded to the BSA’s internet archive.
This event is sponsored by the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation and the A. G. Leventis Foundation.