Wars - 10th March
“When a war breaks out people say, ‘It’s too stupid; it can’t last long.’ But though a war may well be ‘too stupid’, that doesn’t prevent its lasting. Stupidity has a knack of getting its way; as we should see if we were not always so much wrapped in ourselves” (Albert Camus, The Plague).
Wars - 10th March
10 Mar 2022, 17:00 – 18:00
This meeting (plus the next one which is on 17 March, at 5pm) will be devoted to readings that can help us reflect upon the stupidity of war; or understand why some like it; or explain why for some others it becomes inevitable.
This time the format of the meetings is open, with no pre-set readings. We will read anti-war poems, extracts from war novels, or pieces that do not deal with war at all but came to our minds when we heard about it.
If you would like to come and contribute to these sessions, please send your reading suggestion(s) in advance to Beatrice Sica (b.sica@ucl.ac.uk) so that we can share the readings easily when we meet.
Depending on the number of reading suggestions that we receive, we might not be able to read everything in two sessions, but we are happy to add later dates, if needed.
Remember that, as Michael Spence, UCL President and Provost, wrote in his latest newsletter, no one represents anything other than themselves. Literature has no borders. All languages, literatures and nationalities are welcome.