Old English Masterclass

Two-day course for beginners. Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December 2024, 10.30 - 16.30. British Library Learning Centre.

Join our introduction to Old English and encounter the language of the Anglo-Saxons. We’ll explore Old English in its cultural context and help you develop skills in analysing and drawing meaning from set texts through accessible exercises and close reading.  

Over the weekend you’ll gain an understanding of the journey of the English language from Old English into Middle English and subsequently Modern English. We’ll explore the perils and pleasures of studying a dead language which only survives in a limited number of manuscripts, and visit our exhibition Medieval Women: In Their Own Words.

We’ll study short sections of prose in Old English and, as our confidence grows, transition to verse – in particular short passages from the epic masterpiece Beowulf. Rather than attempting to learn tables of grammar, we’ll give you a sense of the grammar by using texts which have an attached glossary, allowing you to unpick the dynamics of an inflected language like Old English. You will appreciate the musical richness of the original, while also gaining a sense of its meaning.

See the full programme, including timings of the weekend here

Previous knowledge or experience
None required. Our course is designed for anyone who wants to develop a basic awareness of Old English in its cultural and historical context.

Facilities and Refreshments
Tea and coffee is provided on both days in the morning. A vegetarian sandwich lunch is provided on both days. Please email adultlearning@bl.uk to discuss your dietary requirements.

Entry to our current exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, is included during and as part of the course. 

Accessibility
Please email adultlearning@bl.uk to discuss your accessibility requirements.

Tutors
Dr Victoria Symons is a medievalist specialising in Old English literature, medical practices and runic writing. She holds an honorary lectureship at University College London, having taught Old and Middle English language and literature for more than a decade at a variety of institutions. She is the author and editor of books including The Tale of Beowulf (2022), Runes and Roman Letters in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts (2017) and Stasis in the Medieval West (2017). Her wider publications include numerous articles, chapters, translations and blogposts for both academic and general audiences, with notable ventures ranging from co-editing The Riddle Ages blog to working on a Beowulf-inspired videogame project. Although her first love will always be runes, her current research centres on childbirth and domestic remedies in both Old and Middle English contexts.  

Dr Mary Wellesley is an Associate Member of the English Faculty at the University of Oxford. She has worked in the British Library’s department of Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts and also held a Research Affiliateship at the library. Her book, Hidden Hands: the Lives of Manuscripts and Their Makers was published in October 2021. It was chosen as one of the history books of the year by both The Times and BBC History Magazine. Mary is passionate about communicating medieval history to the widest possible audience. Alongside her academic work, she writes widely – her work has appeared in the Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The London Review of Books, The New York Review of Books and The Times Literary Supplement, amongst others. She is also the co-host of two podcast series made by the London Review of Books, ‘Encounters with Medieval Women’ and ‘Medieval Beginnings’. She spent 2017 developing the medieval section of the British Library’s Discovering Literature online resource, which showcases the Library’s medieval English literary collections.