Our Mythical Hope

Classical Antiquity is a particularly important field in terms of “Hope studies” […]. For centuries, the ancient tradition, and classical mythology in particular, has been a common reference point for whole hosts of creators of culture, across many parts of the world, and with the new media and globalization only increasing its impact. Thus, in our research at this stage, we have decided to study how the authors of literary and audiovisual texts for youth make use of the ancient myths to support their young protagonists (and readers or viewers) in crucial moments of their existence, on their road into adulthood, and in those dark hours when it seems that life is about to shatter and fade away. However, if Hope is summoned in time, the crisis can be overcome and the protagonist grows stronger, with a powerful uplifting message for the public. […] Owing to this, we get a chance to remain true to our ideas, to keep faith in our dreams, and, when the decisive moment comes, to choose not hatred but love, not darkness but light. (Katarzyna Marciniak, University of Warsaw; From the introductory chapter) The book is to be recommended for academics as well as graduate and postgraduate students working on the reception of Classical Antiquity and its transformations around the world. (David Movrin, University of Ljubljana) "Our Mythical Hope" is the latest collection of articles by scholars participating in an ongoing collaboration to ensure that the beauty and profundity of Classical myth remain known, and (hopefully) remain part of our modern culture. The size of this compendium, the sweep of subjects considered, the involvement of leading experts from around the world, all testify to how important and extensive this initiative has become over the last decade. The project’s continued commitment to engage all ages, especially the young, and to extend its outreach beyond the Academy merely, makes it a leading model for how research retains its relevance. (Mark O’Connor, Boston College) The publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Poland license (CC BY 3.0 PL) (full license available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/legalcode). ********* Publikacja na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa 3.0 PL (CC BY 3.0 PL) (pełna treść wzorca dostępna pod adresem: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/pl/legalcode). ********* PhD Hab. Katarzyna Marciniak - is Professor, Director of the Centre for Studies on the Classical Tradition (OBTA), and Vice-Dean for International Cooperation at the Faculty of “Artes Liberales” at the University of Warsaw. She heads the Cluster “The Past for the Present – International Research and Educational Programme”. Her doctoral thesis, under the supervision of Prof. Jerzy Axer, focused on Cicero’s translations from Greek into Latin. In 2011, she established the international team programme Our Mythical Childhood, bringing together scholars from various continents with the aim of studying the reception of Classical Antiquity in children’s and young adults’ culture. She is a laureate of the Loeb Classical Library Foundation Grant for the project Our Mythical Childhood… The Classics and Children’s Literature between East and West (2012–2013), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Alumni Award for Innovative Networking Initiatives for the project Chasing Mythical Beasts… The Reception of Creatures from Graeco-Roman Mythology in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture as a Transformation Marker (2014–2017), and the European Research Council Consolidator Grant for the project Our Mythical Childhood… The Reception of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture in Response to Regional and Global Challenges (2016–2022). She also writes for children and has published two volumes of myths for young readers. Her poems about a cat that surfs the Internet and a lion visiting a hairdresser received a nomination for the Book of the Year 2016 award of the Polish Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). --------- Dr hab. Katarzyna Marciniak - filolog, profesor Wydziału „Artes Liberales” Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.