Book Launch: Shakespeare and War

Join us to mark the opening of the new exhibition and the launch of an accompanying book, ‘Shakespeare at War: A Material History’, at the National Army Museum.

War is a frequent theme of Shakespeare’s writing: from dramatic depictions of campaigns and battles, to the soldiers who serve as major and minor characters in many of his plays.

Join Amy Lidster and Sonia Massai, the curators of the National Army Museum’s new Shakespeare and War exhibition, for a special panel discussion. Alongside other guest speakers, they will explore the diverse ways in which Shakespeare has been deployed during major conflicts with British involvement from the 18th century to the modern day.

The roundtable conversation will consider how Shakespeare has been used to bolster or to critique the reasons for going to war, to motivate troops on the battlefield, and to help soldiers and civilians alike to process the experience of being at war.

The Shakespeare and War exhibition and the Café will both remain open until the event begins at 6.30pm.

About the panel

Sonia Massai

Sonia Massai is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Sapienza, University of Rome, and Visiting Professor of Shakespeare Studies at King's College London. She is co-editor of 'Shakespeare at War: A Material History' and co-curator of the ‘Shakespeare and War’ exhibition. Her other publications include various books and essays on Shakespeare.

Amy Lidster

Amy Lidster is Departmental Lecturer in English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford, Visiting Fellow at King’s College London, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is the author of several books, including co-editing 'Shakespeare at War: A Material History', a companion book linked to the exhibition which she co-curated.

Tim Collins

Tim Collins is an Irish-born Army Colonel who served with the Royal Irish Regiment and the Special Air Service Regiment. Since leaving the Army, he has been an author, broadcaster, and public speaker as well as established several successful companies. Recently, he has written about his use of Shakespeare during the Iraq War, which is the focus of his essay within 'Shakespeare at War: A Material History'.

Nataliya Torkut

Nataliya Torkut is Head of the Ukrainian Shakespeare Centre. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, she has continued her work, delivering lectures, taking part in academic events, and supporting student research and creative projects. She is Professor in the Department of German Philology, Translation and World Literature at Zaporizhzhia National University and has been a Visiting Professor in the Department of English at King’s College London.