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Research Periods Wwii Onwards
Research finds literature quality linked to foreign language ability in young people

Research within the University has found that reading complex and engaging texts is key to inspiring young learners’ interest in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and potentially improving how the subject is taught in UK secondary schools, according to new Oxford University research.

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Karen Leeder wins John Frederick Nims Memorial Prize For Translation

Karen Leeder has been awarded the John Frederick Nims Memorial Prize for Translation 2018 for her translation of Durs Grünbein,'The Doctrine of Photography', which appeared in Poetry 2017. The John Frederick Nims Memorial Prize for translation work is permanently endowed through a fund established by Bonnie Larkin Nims, Trustees of The Poetry Foundation, and friends of the late poet, translator, and Editor of Poetry. Previous winners include: Marilyn Hacker, Eavan Boland, and Michael Hofmann 2007
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/144808/the-doctrine-of-photography

Research Periods Wwii Onwards
Launch of a new Modern Languages 1+1 MBA programme

The Faculty are delighted to announce the launch of a new configuration of our MSt course through a partnership with the Saïd Business School. The new 1+1 MBA course with Modern Languages will be available for first intake from October 2019, and is a unique, two-year graduate experience that combines the depth of a specialised, master’s degree with the breadth of a top-ranking, one-year MBA.

Helen Craske
Modern Languages student wins Naomi Schor Memorial Award

Medieval and Modern Languages doctoral student Helen Craske has jointly won the prestigious Naomi Schor Memorial Award presented by the international scholarly society the Nineteenth-Century French Studies Association (NCFS), at its annual conference held in late October.

Pierre Michon
Zaharoff Lecture 2018

We are pleased to announce that the Zaharoff Lecture 2018 will be given by Pierre Michon. The celebrated French author will join us on November 13th, 2018 (Tuesday of 6th Week, Michaelmas Term 2018) in the Main Hall of the Taylor Institution from 5 o’clock.

All are welcome to attend.

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Booking Open: Jonathan Thacker's Inaugural Lecture

We are happy to announce that booking for Professor Jonathan Thacker's Inaugural Lecture 'The World as Stage in Spain’s Golden Age' is now open.

The event will take place on October 16th, 2018 (Tuesday of 2nd Week, Michaelmas Term) at 5 o'clock. The location is the Main Hall of the Taylor Institution. All are welcome to attend. For further details and to reserve your place, see below.

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In memoriam: Dr Valerio Lucchesi

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Dr Valerio Lucchesi passing away on September 2nd, 2018 at the age of 91.

Dr Lucchesi joined the Italian Sub-Faculty at Oxford in 1966, was University Lecturer in Italian and then Fellow of Corpus Christi College from 1970 until his retirement in 1994.

Our thoughts are with Valerio's wife, Joyce. Information on the funeral and memorial service is included below.

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Oxford Open Doors at the Taylorian: September 8th, 2018

Oxford Open Doors is the annual weekend when when we celebrate the city: its places, spaces and, most of all, its people. The Taylor Institution Library is taking part in the Oxford Open Doors event this Saturday, September 8th, 2018.

Library staff will be giving guided tours to small groups throughout the day, and visitors will be taken to the Voltaire Room to view an exhibition. We hope that this will not cause any disruption, as visitors will be advise that the library rooms are for quiet study. If you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact Joanne Ferrari (joanne.ferrari@bodleian.ox.ac.uk).

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In memoriam: Dr David Pattison

The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages is very sad to report that Dr David Pattison passed away on September 3rd, 2018 at the age of 76.

Dr Pattison was appointed Tutorial Fellow in Spanish at Magdalen College in 1969, and held the post until his retirement in 2005 when he became an Emeritus Fellow. During his illustrious career he acted as Chairman of the Modern Languages Faculty Board and also served as President of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Faculty's thoughts are with David's family at this time. Information on the funeral and memorial service is included below.

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Launch: The White Rose Project

All members of the Faculty are warmly invited to the launch of The White Rose project and exhibition on Friday, October 12th. The event will take place in Room 2 at the Taylor Institution from 5 o'clock in the evening. There will be a short talk, a chance to view the exhibition, and refreshments. The White Rose: Reading, Writing, Resistance exhibition will continue in the Voltaire Room until the end of October.

Booking for the launch event is required.

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Alumnus Kieran Hodgson Shortlisted for the Edinburgh Best Comedy Award

Kieran Hodgson, an alumnus of the Faculty, has been shortlisted for the best comedy award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018. His show '75 is an exploration of the prehistory of Brexit, dating not to the referendum of June 2016, but back to the 1960s and '70s.

Advertised as 'an overambitious hour of history, politics and enduring friendship punctuated by stunningly accurate impressions of dead politicians you've never heard of', '75 has been a success, with the critics especially praising Hodgson's considerable skills as an impersonator.

The show will be running until August 26th, 2018, and further details can be seen on the Pleasance Theatre Trust website. We wish Kieran the best of luck with the performances and with his nomination.

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University Open Day: September 14th, 2018

Open Days provide an excellent opportunity to visit the Faculty and meet our tutors and students. We welcome prospective applicants to have a look at libraries and classrooms, and to learn more about the admissions process and studying at Oxford.

The next University of Oxford Open Day will take place on Friday, September 14th, 2018. The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages will be holding information sessions on all three dates; booking is required. To reserve your place at the Open Day, please, follow this link.

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Exhibition: The White Rose: Reading, Writing, Resistance

2018 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the most remarkable instances in the history of German Resistance: the White Rose group trials. To commemorate this event, there will be an exhibition in the Taylor Institution, entitled The White Rose: Reading, Writing, Resistance. The exhibition will run from October 12th to 31st in the Voltaire Room of the Taylorian. It will present information on the members of the White Rose and their resistance activities, as well as examples of literature which influenced them to oppose Nazism.