Weblink to KYKNOS

The purpose of KYKNOS is to stimulate, co-ordinate and promote research on the narrative literatures of antiquity. The University of Wales has a distinguished history in this area, particularly in the study of ancient fiction. The subject expertise is now concentrated in Swansea and Lampeter. There is a distinguished and continuing record of publication and Swansea in particular has been immensely successful in attracting top-quality research students from Europe and Japan, as well as from the UK, to work with Professor J R Morgan. The recent appointments of Dr Ian Repath at Swansea confirm a world-class strength in this area. KYKNOS has already formalised links with Exeter and Birmingham, and has also established international connections, a number of which may result in formal institutional links. It has already welcomed one PhD student, from Ghent, for a semester, to work within the KYKNOS group at Swansea, and intend to develop opportunities for exchange of staff and research students within the network. A dedicated Master’s programme on Ancient Narrative Literature will be available in 2008-2009 will attract students to Swansea and retain them for PhD research within KYKNOS, with the possibility of an earmarked university studentship.

KYKNOS already has an active seminar series and plans over the next five years to expand its activities through, amongst other things, the organisation of as major conferences. Agreement has been reached in principle with the Classical Press of Wales to publish an occasional series of volumes under the KYKNOS logo. We anticipate that a number of monographs and collected volumes will be forthcoming. A major AHRC bid in conjunction with Exeter is currently under discussion.

There is no other research centre on ancient narrative in the UK, and KYKNOS is already a major player at the international level. It is very much a collaborative venture, but Swansea stands at the centre: KYKNOS is Greek for ‘swan’.

Weblink to the Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology

For further information email: humanities@swansea.ac.uk