A Philosopher of the Past - and its Lessons for Our Future
Bettany Hughes
Bettany grew up in West London. Her parents were in the theatre and it was there that she learnt early on the importance and delight of sharing thoughts and ideas with a wider public. Bettany won a scholarship to read Ancient and Modern History at Oxford University and then continued her ...
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Keynote Speaker
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About Bettany Hughes
Bettany grew up in West London. Her parents were in the theatre and it was there that she learnt early on the importance and delight of sharing thoughts and ideas with a wider public. Bettany won a scholarship to read Ancient and Modern History at Oxford University and then continued her post-graduate research while travelling through the Balkans and Asia Minor.
Bettany lectures throughout the world. She has been invited to universities in the US, Australia, Germany, Turkey and Holland to speak on subjects as diverse as Helen of Troy and the origins of female 'Sophia' to concepts of Time in the Islamic world. She considers her work in the lecture halls and seminar rooms amongst the most important and rewarding. But she does not confine herself to just the world of academia. She has written and presented a number of documentaries for television including When The Moors Ruled Europe, Helen of Troy and The Spartans for Channel 4, which were viewed over 50 million people worldwide. Bettany is frequently asked to sit on academic and cultural jury panels.
Her book Helen of Troy - the first serious and wide-ranging book ever to have been written about Helen - was published in 2005 to great critical and popular acclaim. She is currently writing a book on Socrates.
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Helen McCarthy
"Bettany's talk about the challenges of making history work on television was hugely stimulating (as well as great fun!). She helped us to think about how we might communicate our own research beyond the academic world, as well as offering a perceptive insight into the broader relationship between history, media and the public."
Alice Sherwood
"Bettany is an absolutely magnetic speaker. Our all-female audience were entranced and inspired by her wit and scholarship. She brought ancient civilisations alive and made the enigmatic and unknown Helen of Troy feel real, immediate and relevant to us".