Indulge in two modern interpretations of two very classic tales: Chris McCully presents a new translation of the mighty Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, while Philip Terry reads from his version of Gilgamesh, Dictator, playfully returning the poem to its roots in commercial language, rewriting it in a contemporary business style.

This event is part of Essex Book Festival’s Secret Water weekend in various venues in Harwich.

Philip Terry was born in Belfast, and is currently Director of Creative Writing at the University of Essex.  He is the author of the lipogrammatic novel The Book of Bachelors, and the poetry collections Oulipoems, Oulipoems 2, and Shakespeare’s Sonnets. His translations include a version of Dante’s Inferno relocated to present-day Essex, and Raymond Queneau’s last published book of poetry, Elementary Morality. Philip Terry’s Tapestry was shortlisted in 2013 for the Goldsmiths Prize.

Chris McCully was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, and is a senior lecturer in the University of Essex Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies. Chris has strong links with Carcanet Press, who have published a number of his collections of verse and/or translations. Chris’ most recent books include Serengeti Songs (poems, Carcanet 2016), Four Places (travel essays, Muscaliet Press 2018) and Beowulf: A Translation and a Reading (Carcanet Classics, 2018).  chrismccully.co.uk

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