Group for Early Modern Studies (GEMS) is convening a new Reading Group. This group welcomes BA students, MA students, doctoral students, postdocs, and colleagues from any field to read an early modern text together and discuss it. This year, for the very the first edition, we shall be reading Machiavelli’s play The Mandrake (La Mandragola).
We will meet biweekly in the spring semester (i.e. from February to May), most likely from 5-6.30pm on Thursdays. We will read the text aloud, stopping periodically to discuss in depth any aspect of the text participants like––all the while enjoying some drinks and snacks. We read in English and there is absolutely no background or prior knowledge of Machiavelli and/or Italian required.
Indeed, participants are expressly forbidden to do any reading in advance! In other words: this reading group does not require you to do any work or reading beyond what we do together in the sessions. You do not have to attend all sessions: participants will receive an email with what will be read each session, so that you can read up and re-join if you wish.
The GEMS Reading Group is thus a low-stakes, fun way of engaging with early modern texts you might otherwise never read; and of getting to know & learning from colleagues and students from other disciplines with fresh perspectives.
If this appeals to you, please send an email to geertje.bol@ugent.be to be added to the mailing list.
