Dr Owen Hodkinson (he/him)

With fresh songs and a spectacular set, Disney’s Hercules musical goes the distance The muses must spend the whole evening on costume changes, appearing in a series of fabulous frocks, each more spectacular than the last.

Prof. Stafford's review of the new Disney Hercules musical is out - complete with some great photos and video-links... Enjoy!

theconversation.com/with-fresh-s...

Can Disney’s New Hercules “Go the Distance”? This is a longer version of the review published yesterday in The Conversation. Disney’s Hercules – Mount Olympus & Muses. Photo by Johan Persson © Disney “Whose daring deeds are gr…

By popular request (!) Prof. Stafford has posted a longer version of her review of Disney's new musical on the CAWCRS Research Blog: leedscawcrs.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/5...

Concert poster advertising Leeds Haydn Players' concert with details of pieces to be performed: 13th July, 3.30pm. All Souls Church, Blackman Lane, Leeds, LS2 9EY. Beethoven: Leonore Overture no.3, Fauré: Masques et Bergamesques, Schumann: Symphony 4. Tickets on the door, or email leedshaydnplayers@gmail.com

Leeds Haydn Players' summer concert!
A very nice and varied programme (and feat. me as second bassoon, but don't let that put you off).

My own paper "Colonialism and erasure in classical board games".

Matt Coward-Gibbs ‪@mattcowardgibbs.bsky.social‬ co-leading the afternoon's workshop "Hacking colonial themed games" along with Izzy Bartley, using the game boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/19...

Gianluca Raccagni of Edinburgh History & Games Lab historyandgames.shca.ed.ac.uk speaking on designing a game based on the extraordinary journeys of Harald Hardrada: "The Making of 'A Viking in the Sun': Between Research-Informed Game Design and Game Design-Informed Research."

Now Izzy Bartley ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/pgr..., PhD candidate at Leeds and Leeds Museums and Galleries employee, talking about "Playing colonial themed board games as decolonising work".

Followed by Jenny Cromwell @jennycromwell.bsky.social on historical pedagogy through gameplay and game design: "Introducing ‘Qadesh: A Soldier’s Journey’: a TTRPG set in ancient Egypt".

Kicking off our 'Games through History and History through Games' Colloquium
@universityofleeds.bsky.social
in fine style with
@emmacayley.bsky.social 's talk about the journeys of playing cards - "Lost in the Shuffle: The Interconnected Histories of Playing Cards and Books".

A map showing trade routes along which playing cards were traded

Looking forward to speaking about the journeys of playing cards in our 'Games through History and History through Games' Colloquium @universityofleeds.bsky.social on Weds 21st and hearing some fascinating papers on games and colonialism. Thanks to @owenhodkinson.bsky.social for the invitation! ♠️♦️♣️♥️

About us Find out about Tearfund, our vision mission, values, and story, and meet our executive team and board.

If you would like to make a charitable donation in Malcolm’s memory, you might consider giving to Tearfund, of which he was a regular supporter, or to St Michael’s Parish Giving Scheme.
www.tearfund.org/about-us
www.stmichaelsheadingley.org/giving

Photograph of Prof. Malcolm Heath sitting at his desk in his office at the University of Leeds.

The funeral of our much missed colleague Professor Malcolm Heath will take place this Friday (11 April) at 13.00 in St. Michael’s Church Headingley. There will be refreshments in the church afterwards: please let us know if you plan to come (RSVP to P.M.White@leeds.ac.uk).

Happy to share a review I wrote for Classical Review of a compelling edited vol. on ancient 'love’ letters, curated by
@owenhodkinson.bsky.social and A.T. Drago. The collection offers a nuanced exploration of the emotional textures of epistolary writing in antiquity. Here: doi.org/10.1017/S000...

Very much looking forward to this research seminar with Elena Claudi, on Philostratus' Imagines, otherness and gender! “Viewing the female object through ekphrasis: Rhodogoune in the Imagines of Philostratus”.
Details in the quoted post.
🏺 #ClassicsBluesky #BlueskyClassics #AncientBluesky 🏛️

Photo of Professor Malcolm Heath at his desk at the University of Leeds

Leeds Classics is deeply sad to learn that our colleague Malcolm Heath died peacefully yesterday. Since his retirement in 2022 he had unfortunately been in ill health, but he was well supported by friends and family, and when colleagues from the department visited in November he was in good spirits.

Sign the Petition Save Cardiff University Ancient History Degree

Please take a moment to sign and share the petition to save Ancient History from planned cuts at Cardiff University

www.change.org/p/save-cardi...

#ClassicsBlueSky #AncientBlueSky

#AncientBluesky

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! And yes, definitely...

It was wonderful talking to @k8lister.bsky.social on this show about erotic letters and love letters from Greco-Roman antiquity, and beyond! #BetwixtTheSheets
#AncientBluesky
#ClassicsBluesky

Interesting. I'd not come across that song - afraid the only song of theirs I could name is Buddy Holly.

I might have mentioned Catullus in connection with Sappho, as he translated in his poem 51 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catullu... a poem of Sappho (31 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho_31)

The Ovid letters I mentioned were these en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroides, for a translation e.g. www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/.... I talked about the writers' tears (Heroides 3 and 15) or blood (11) falling on the page of the letter in specific examples, and the letter from Sappho is 15.

Thank you!
Yes, there's so much of that kind of thing...

Thank you!!

For more about this research see AT Drago's and Owen Hodkinson's book Ancient Love Letters degruyter.com/document/doi...

- and for ongoing and future research see ahc.leeds.ac.uk/languages-re...

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Listen on shows.acast.com/betwixt-the-...,
open.spotify.com/show/1krsAvY..., www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand..., or wherever you get your podcasts.

#AncientBluesky #ClassicsBluesky

This episode has been released today! Listen to me with host @k8lister.bsky.social on the history of love letters and erotic letters, primarily in antiquity but looking at modern developments too.

The episode is titled "The Origins of Sexting": listener discretion is advised!

Thank you Niall!

Tweet by Twitter user @agameganon, with photos of beautiful Classics-inspired jewellery. Tweet reads as follows: My shop is open for 2025! I make silver and gold plated earrings, necklaces, and bookmarks inspired by my love of/research in Classics. Many pieces are made with replica Greco-Roman coins - there’s something to interest any history/mythology enthusiast!

Hey everyone, I don't think Meg's on Bluesky, so is there any chance we could try and spread this around here?

Link: ko-fi.com/agameganon/s...

#AncientBluesky #ClassicsBluesky 🏺