Re-reading Sinuhe: Ancient poetry and modern commentary

Mødedato: Søndag d. 14. september 2025, kl. 14.00
Lokale 15A.1.11

ved Richard Parkinson, Professor of Egyptology, Fellow of The Queen’s College, University of Oxford

Although The Life of Sinuhe is universally acknowledged as the supreme masterpiece of Ancient Egyptian literature, there has been no full commentary on the poem for over a century. The lecture will discuss a recent attempt to provide a new analysis, connecting issues of palaeography, philology, poetry and performance together in a single volume to help anyone wanting to read the Middle Kingdom versions(s) of the poem.

The nature of the poem has often been misunderstood, as have Sinuhe’s character and experiences, and the lecture will try to demonstrate how a more experiential and empathetic approach to reading can  clarify what actually happens in the text and enable a fuller engagement with its extraordinary poetry.