Forum 42 Talk With Sue Blundell

Last week, CLC pupils welcomed Classics Academic, Sue Blundell, for an insightful talk about the life of one of CLC's earliest boarders, Jane Harrison. Read an overview of the highlights from one of our students below.

You might not have heard of Jane Harrison, but the names Virginia Woolf and Dorothea Beale must ring a bell. Jane Harrison, who some might argue is as prominent as these two big names, was one of CLC’s very own students. In last week’s Forum 42, Sue Blundell discussed her life and work, from her early life and time at CLC, to her many academic and social contributions. Harrison pursued a career in the classics, specifically in the field of religion and death. We learned why she was focused on this aspect of antiquity, as well as fully fleshing out Harrison’s ideas through familiar media such as the Persephone myth and a mosaic of Jesus.

Harrison’s social life was no less thrilling, getting to meet many prominent figures and personalities, including College’s very own Dorothea Beale. Another interesting fact we learned was that she features in the early chapters of Virginia Woolf’s book ‘A Room of One’s Own’ as a ghost-like figure!

Although Harrison was praised as a pioneer of her time for revitalising interest in the classics (Blundell draws favourable comparisons between her influence and that of Natalie Haynes and Mary Beard), she lived through a time when women weren’t allowed their rightful recognition. Despite the constraints of early 20th-century misogyny, Harrison was one of the first to break through their stereotypes, leaving the door ajar for future generations of women.

Queena
SFC1

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