The University of Glasgow and the Alasdair Gray Archive, with the support of the University of Verona and the Italian Institute of Culture, invite you to a symposium and reading commemorating 700 years since the death of Dante in 1321 and Alasdair Gray’s translation of The Divine Comedy, his last major work before his death in 2019.
This event comprises short papers discussing aspects of how Gray’s version differs distinctively from other versions of Dante in translation and from the original, then opens out to examine references to Scotland in The Divine Comedy and what Dante knew of the country; the significance of Dante for Gray; representations of Dante’s work in Scottish classical music and the visual arts; and finally, readings from Dante presented alongside corresponding passages in Gray’s translation.
This event is a commemoration of Dante and Alasdair Gray, cementing connections between Scotland and Italy, celebrating the cultural achievements of both nations, and presenting them in an international context with specific reference to these two major writers, and in the appreciation of the arts complementary to literature, especially music, painting, drawing and sculpture.
Organised by Sorcha Dallas, Simona Manca, Alan Riach & Carla Sassi.
