Before Christopher Nolan brings The Odyssey to the screen in July 2026, join UC Berkeley Arts & Humanities for a season of events exploring the story that launched a thousand journeys. This spring, we’re reading Daniel Mendelsohn’s acclaimed new 2025 translation in a special virtual alumni book club led by a graduate student from the department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies and featuring a different faculty expert at each session. Part literary deep dive, part lively conversation.
When and Where
Book club meetings will take place at 5:30pm PST on the dates listed below and will run for one hour, guided by the assigned faculty member on Zoom. On the Monday prior to each meeting, participants will receive a reminder email containing the zoom link along with an invitation to submit questions in advance. While questions will be gathered ahead of time, participants may also ask questions via the Zoom chat during the session. With a large number of participants signed up, we will attempt to answer the broadest range of questions each meeting.
Following each meeting, attendees are invited to join optional breakout rooms to continue the conversation; these discussion rooms will remain open for 30 minutes after the meeting concludes.
Frequently requested links: Question form | YouTube page with recordings
Connect Beyond Book Club
Facebook: Join the Berkeley Odyssey Book Club Facebook Group and connect with one another as you read along. Start discussions, ask questions, and participate in our polls.
Slack: Join The Odyssey Book Club Slack Channel to connect with one another. Join threads that discuss themes, meet others in your time zone and more.
Watch: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be notified when we post Book Club meeting recordings. Meeting recordings will be made available within two business days of the meeting.
Book Club FAQs
When do book club meetings take place?
Book club meetings take place at 5:30pm PT on the scheduled dates and run for one hour.
Where does the book club meet?
All meetings are held on Zoom and are guided by the assigned faculty member.
When will I receive the Zoom link?
Participants will receive a reminder email on the Monday prior to each meeting, which will include:
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The Zoom link
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An invitation to submit questions in advance
Can I ask questions during the session?
Yes. While we gather questions ahead of time, participants may also ask questions live via the Zoom chat during the meeting. With a large number of participants, we aim to address the broadest range of questions possible each session.
Is there discussion after the meeting ends?
Yes! After each meeting, attendees are invited to optional breakout discussion rooms, which remain open for 30 minutes following the main session to continue the conversation.
Are meetings recorded?
Yes. All book club meetings are recorded.
When will the recording be available?
Meeting recordings are typically posted within two business days after each session.
Where can I watch the recordings?
Recordings are posted to our YouTube channel. We recommend subscribing to receive notifications when new recordings go live.
Which translation are we reading?
We are reading The Odyssey, translated by Daniel Mendelsohn (University of Chicago Press, 2024/2025 edition). That said, whatever translation you'd like to use is also fine.
How can I connect with other book club members between meetings?
There are several ways to stay connected beyond the live sessions:
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Facebook: Join the Berkeley Odyssey Book Club Facebook Group to start discussions, ask questions, and participate in polls.
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Slack: Join The Odyssey Book Club Slack Channel to connect with fellow readers, discuss themes, and meet participants in your time zone.
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YouTube: Subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on posted recordings.
Recording from January 15, 2026 meeting
Sarah Fullerton, Director of Communications for the division reviewed logistical information for book club.
Cecily Manson, Ph.D. candidate in the department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, introduced The Odyssey and highlighted key themes you should be on the lookout for as we read this great epic. Cecily will be our host in each meeting, accompanying the faculty lead. For the introduction she is joined by Professor Leslie Kurke.
We’re excited to welcome you to the second meeting of our Odyssey Book Club, where we’ll be discussing Books 1–4 of The Odyssey.
This session will be led by Professor Leslie Kurke, who will help situate these opening books within the epic as a whole while offering deeper context and close readings. Together, we’ll explore key themes and characters, consider the historical and cultural backdrop of the poem, and examine how the new translation shapes our understanding of the text.
Our host, Cecily Manson, will guide the conversation and help connect questions from participants as we dig into these foundational chapters of Homer’s epic. We look forward to a thoughtful and engaging conversation.
Email for 1/29 meeting
Review and discuss books 5-8 of The Odyssey
Duncan MacRae, Associate Professor of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies and Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion will lead us through books 5-8.
Professor MacRae teaches a course on Greek and Roman Myths, which includes teaching The Odyssey. He is teaching the course this Spring.
Review and discuss books 9-12 of The Odyssey
Books 9-12 will be co-led by Kim Shelton, Professor of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies and Director of the Archaeological Research Facility and Grace Erny, Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies.
Professors Shelton and Erny work in classical archaeology with a focus on the Bronze Age Aegean and Greece and the Aegean in the first millennium BCE, respectively.
Review and discuss books 13-16 of The Odyssey
Books 13-16 will be led by Ellen Oliensis, Professor in the Departments of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies and Comparative Literature and Klio Distinguished Professor of Classical Languages and Literature
Professor Oliensis is a literary critic whose work centers on Latin poetry.
Review and discuss books 17-20 of The Odyssey
Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies Sherry(Chiayi) Lee will lead the group through books 17-20.
Professor Lee's research examines how scholars in Hellenistic Alexandria sought to define authentic texts through attribution.
Review and discuss books 21-24 of The Odyssey.
Our final meeting will be led by Leslie Kurke, Gladys Rehard Wood Chair and Distinguished Professor of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies and Comparative Literature, and Chair of the Department of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies.
Professor Kurke will guide the group through the final four books, helping to culminate and book-end this epic tale.