P. B. Shelley's The Revolt of Islam:  Texts, Subtexts, Contexts

15 December 2017, 2-8 p.m.

For the programme  click here

As part of the ongoing programme of bicentenaries celebrated by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association as well as the series of events at the American Academy in Rome exploring East and West, and in particular the misunderstandings and exchanges between the West and the Islamic World, this conference organized by the Keats-Shelley House in collaboration with the American Academy in Rome revisits Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem  The Revolt of Islam, first published in 1817 as  Laon and Cythna. 

On the afternoon of 15 December, 1817, publisher Charles Ollier met with Thomas Love Peacock, Mary Shelley, Claire Clairmont and Shelley himself to discuss the potentially controversial and contentious nature of Shelley’s poem. Marking the bicentenary of that meeting, papers in English and in Italian will focus on historical and contextual issues, as well as the contemporary resonances of Shelley’s poem.

The keynote address will be given by celebrated author Don DeLillo, whose novel  Falling Man (2007) explores the aftermath of 9/11 through the experience of a survivor of the attacks on New York. A postcard sent from Rome, a reproduction of the cover of Shelley’s poem, purchased at the Keats-Shelley House in Piazza di Spagna, makes an important cameo appearance in the novel.

The conference is organized by Giuseppe Albano, Curator and Director of the Keats-Shelley House, and Maria Valentini, Professore Associato in English Literature at the Università di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale.

The event will be held in English and in Italian. You can watch it livestreamed at https://livestream.com/aarome

Please note: valid photo ID is required for entry into the American Academy in Rome. Backpacks and luggage with dimensions larger than cm 40 x 35 x 15 (inches 16 x 14 x 6) are not permitted on the property. There are no locker facilities available.