Members and guests are warmly invited to our next event, which incorporates the Society’s AGM and an address entitled “Confessions of the 51st Orator” by the distinguished classicist Dr Anthony Bowen of Jesus College.

Speaker

Dr Bowen read Classics at St John's College, graduating in 1962. He returned to his old school, Bradfield College, to teach and to oversee Bradfield’s famous triennial Greek play, which as a pupil he had acted in and then directed. In 1967 he moved to Shrewsbury School to become head of Classics.

While at Shrewsbury he got elected to the Shropshire County Council twice and stood for parliament as a Liberal Democrat. In 1990, Dr Bowen was offered a post at Cambridge University to set up and teach an intensive course in Ancient Greek ab initio to would-be Classics students whose schools did not provide it. In 1993 Dr Bowen was elected Orator of the University, a post he held until 2007. He became a fellow of Jesus College and served as the College’s President. During this time, he was elected to Cambridgeshire County Council for which he served two terms.

Since his official retirement, Dr Bowen has continued to teach and to write and he served again as President of Jesus in 2019. He has published ten books concerned with Classical texts for students.

Timings

12:15 - 12:30 - AGM
12:45 - 14:15 - Lunch
14:15 - Address by Dr Bowen