Nostri didascalus aevi: Pedagogic Creativity in the work of Bede and Ælfric (Dorothy Whitelock Lecture 2026)

This year's Dorothy Whitelock Lecture will be given by Professor Joyce Hill on 3 December 2026 at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. The title of the talk is: 'Nostri didascalus aevi: Pedagogic Creativity in the work of Bede and Ælfric’. The lecture is part of the Medieval English Research Seminar series.

Bede and Ælfric dedicated their lives to making knowledge accessible. A comparative examination of the techniques they deployed in doing so, each in their different contexts, facing different kinds of audiences and readers, sharpens our appreciation of the skills and creativity of them both. The lecture’s focus on the pedagogy of these two significant authors, in Latin and the vernacular, honours Dorothy Whitelock’s own depth of commitment to teaching and her work in anthologising and translating the key texts of the period.

All are welcome but tickets are required. Registration will open soon.

The talk will be followed by a drinks reception.