Historian, author and broadcaster Bettany Hughes has spent the last 20 years bringing the past vividly to life. In The Hemlock Cup she reimagines the world of Socrates and of classical Athens. She follows Socrates across Greece and Asia Minor and looks at new archaeological discoveries that shed light on the times. The Hemlock Cup was Book of The Year in The Times, The Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and BBC History Magazine, and was a New York Times bestseller.

Hughes is a research fellow of King’s College, London. She was chair of the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011 and has been given a special award by the Greek government for her contribution to Hellenic culture and heritage. Her first book, Helen of Troy, Goddess, Princess, Whore, has been translated into ten languages. Hughes has also made a number a number of factual films for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, The History Channel and National Geographic.

This event is part of the St Hilda’s College day.