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Press release: Oxford marks 75 years of Sylvia Plath

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Press Release: Events

Oxford Marks 75 Years Of Sylvia Plath
Posted at 8:50AM
Monday 22 Oct 2007

'Creative Process and Product,' a Symposium to mark 75 years since the birth of the poet Sylvia Plath will be held at Oxford University from 25 to 29 October and will bring together scholars, writers, artists and actors to explore the full range of Plath's work.

The Symposium will include readings from Plath's poetry by some of Britain's leading actors, including Diana Quick, Emilia Fox, Susannah Harker and Tom Hollander at a Gala event on Sunday 28 October.

The Symposium will provide the opportunity to discuss new Oxford research on Sylvia Plath, Eye Rhymes: Sylvia Plath's Art of the Visual by Sally Bayley and Kathleen Connors reassesses Plath's juvenilia and role as a visual artist. The book aims to make these aspects of her life known beyond academia and explores the links between different forms of art.

There will be an exhibition in the Divinity School at Oxford's Bodleian Library displaying early editions of Plath's writing and illustrations and exploring the links between words and images.
A series of talks and panel discussions will look at a range of aspects of Plath's work, including her relationship with Ted Hughes, the links in her work between creativity, pain, destruction and pathology and even Plath's role in popular and Cold War culture.

Dr Sally Bayley, who organised the Symposium, said: 'This anniversary is an opportunity not just to review one of the truly iconic figures of 20th century literature but also to reassess her work. Plath's work as an artist is important in itself but also provides new insights into her poetry.'

The Symposium will be accompanied by performance art events. There will be a series of performances of the one-woman play I Wish I had a Sylvia Plath. This show, which uses the last ten seconds of the life of a housewife to explore the life of Plath, received a Fringe First Award for Outstanding New Writing at the Edinburgh Festival, and also received a Stage Award nomination for Best Solo Show.

There will also be a number of films exploring different aspects of Plath's ideas. This includes Lady Lazarus by the late experimental filmmaker Sandra Lahire and The Girl Who Would be God a new animation by Suzie Hanna exploring Plath's journal entries about her feelings of power as she entered womanhood.

For more information, or if you wish to attend any of the events work in more detail please contact Oxford University Press Office on 01865 270046 or email james.worron@admin.ox.ac.uk. Dr Sally Bayley will also be available from 25-29 October to discuss her book Eye Rhymes either by phone or in Oxford.
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