Following their sell-out success with a special evening on Dracula, academics at the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ are turning their attentions to love and romance for an event to mark St Valentine’s Day.
‘For the Love Of… at the Theatre Royal on February 13 follows the same format as October’s Dissecting Dracula but this time lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) are exploring various aspects of amour - from historical to contemporary, fantastical to psychological, bitter to blissful.
Love is big business - romance novels are the highest-grossing fiction genre and there’s resurgence in the popularity of romcoms in the cinema. The HSS team will try to get the heart of our enduring love affair with love…
The evening will include the following presentations:
After the talks there will also be a question-and-answer session chaired by the Dean of HSS, Michael Bradshaw.
Michael said: “In my experience, academics tend to ‘explain’ love as a cover for other things – love is really hormones, love is really capitalism, love is really power. So, my challenge to the speakers will be to talk about ‘love actually’, to look at it directly and try to define it in a modern context. The case studies sound fascinating, and I’m looking forward to the discussion.”
Tickets are price £5. To book visit
Pictured top: Romeo and Juliet by Frank Bernard Dicksee (Southampton City Art Gallery).
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