The “Problematics of Culture and Theory” Seminar Series: Professor David Roessel and Mackenzie Kornbluth’s talk on the Patrick Leigh Fermor Papers
The “Problematics of Culture and Theory” Seminar, held by the School of English at Aristotle University, will be hosting an online talk by Professor David Roessel and Mackenzie Kornbluth on Thursday, 6th March, 2025, at 14.30 (14.30-15.40)
The title of the online talk is:
“Patrick Leigh Fermor’s Mani: An examination of the translation edits”
The talk will take place via the Zoom platform. All those interested in attending via zoom, please submit the relevant registration form. The zoom link details for the event will be sent by email on the eve of the talk to all those who have registered for online participation.
In person attendance of the talk will be possible, but only a limited number of participants will be able to attend in person. If you are interested in attending the talk in person, please email Dr. Roupakia at roupakia@enl.auth.gr.
The particular event is organized as part of the AUTh-Stockton University bilateral agreement and the Erasmus+ International Mobility Programme.
Problematics Seminar Coordinators
Dr L.E. Roupakia (roupakia@enl.auth.gr) and Dr Ε. Botonaki (botonaki@enl.auth.gr)
EVENT ABSTRACT
Dr. David Roessel has been examining the Patrick Leigh Fermor Papers at the Scottish National Library to explore changes made to Mani, originally published in 1958, for its 1974 Greek translation. Leigh Fermor himself noted in the preface that this version was, in some ways, a new text and should be considered definitive. However, none of these revisions—including an entirely new chapter—were incorporated into the English editions. Mackenzie Kornbluth, an undergraduate Language student at Stockton University, has been analyzing additional pages and paragraphs that appear to exist only in Greek, raising questions about Leigh Fermor’s intent. His tendency to modify wording for different audiences is evident in his handwritten English edits, such as changing 'All Greeks believe in vampires' to 'Few Greeks believe in vampires' for the Greek edition. Adding to the complexity, a more recent Greek translation claims to be the 'accurate' version by adhering to the original English text. This raises a broader question: Were Leigh Fermor’s changes an attempt at refinement, or did he deliberately shape a different version of Mani for his Greek readership?
GUEST SPEAKERS
Professor David Roessel is the Peter and Stella Yiannos Professor of Greek Language and Literature at Stockton University. He is the author of In Byron's Shadow: Modern Greece in the English and American Imagination, which won the Modern Language Association Prize for Independent Scholars in 2002. He has also edited Langston Hughes, Tennessee Williams, Lawrence Durrell, and other modern authors.
Mackenzie Kornbluth is an undergraduate at Stockton University, Majoring in both Archaeology and Ancient Greek, she is an alumna of the American College of Thessaloniki and has participated in archaeological excavations in Albania. She has also preformed for the International Byron Society conference in Messolonghi, playing the part of Julia Ward Howe. Currently, she is an Erasmus+ International student at Aristotle University in the School of English Language and Literature.
