HoW November Book Club: The Odyssey

The House of Wisdom in Sharjah is running a new season of its Book Club under the theme ‘Home’, with three very relevant titles – House of Stone by war correspondent Anthony Shadid, Near to the Wild Heart by Brazilian author Clarice Lispector, and Homer’s epic for the first in the series.

That’s an interesting collection for the concept of ‘home’ as something shaped by memory and identity, and often defined by absence, return or loss. The discussion for The Odyssey should be a great opener; it’s led by Nezar Andary, Professor of Film and Literature at Zayed University, who will guide participants through Homer’s performative to show how the story weaves together memory, ethics, and community. He’s also using Emily Wilson’s highly regarded 2017 translation of Homer, praised for being both lyrical and clear. (We don’t know who translated the Arabic version – the Book Club discussions are we think bilingual).

Sessions last all morning and include workshops as well as curated discussion.