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In her spare time, Kate hosts salons in Oxford where literature, philosophy, the arts, the sciences and more are discussed in a welcoming space open to all. The aim of the salon is to encourage empathy, critical thinking and engagement with different perspectives among a diverse audience, as well as bridging the gap between academia and the wider public.
The first salon appeared in Italy in the sixteenth century before flourishing in France throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The salon hostess, or salonnière, would open her home, welcoming others to engage in discussion about varied topics.
Attending a salon is a great way to learn about a topic that is entirely new to you or deepen your knowledge of an already familiar field. The best talks cater to both beginners and experts of a given subject. Past talks include:
On Corinne ou Italie ou Staël: the creation of the myth of the female artist
On French decadence: Huysmans, Rachilde and la belle bête intelligente
On the Puzzles and Controversies in the Ethics of War and Peace
On Temporality and memory in film via the work of Jonas Mekas
On Language across species and controversies in animal language
On Eastern Mysticism in 20th-century Russian culture
On the Value of Autonomy in Behavioural Public Policy
Following the talk, questions and discussion ensue. The evening ends with a musical performance or a poetry reading. Exchanging ideas in a convivial setting will introduce you to new friends and enliven your mind. Curiosity, creativity, logic, emotion and sensitivity are all fostered in the diverse space of the salon.
To find out more about salon culture and attend a salon, follow @theoxfordsalon or @thesalonbookclub on Instagram or send Kate an email at kate@katesligo.com
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