More Than A Classic Book Club

Join us for an evening of literary exploration with Meagan Mellor, a student at the University of Toronto specializing in English, Mediaeval, and Renaissance Studies.

In this session, Meagan will guide us through the often-blurry boundaries between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The first half of the talk will offer a big-picture look at how these periods are defined (and debated), especially in the world of English literature. We'll explore some of the key shifts in culture, thought, and writing that mark the transition—and where the timelines don’t quite line up.

The second half will zoom in on Meagan’s research interest: gender in Renaissance drama before the rise of formal theatres. We'll look at how drama functioned as a community event, and how gender was portrayed, performed, and sometimes challenged on early stages—long before Shakespeare and his peers took the spotlight.

Expect a relaxed space for curious minds. Whether you’re deep into Renaissance lit or just dipping your toe in, all are welcome!

I'll provide more information as we get closer to the event.

For August, we'll read The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah

183 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
Country: Ghana

About the book:

A railway freight clerk in Ghana attempts to hold out against the pressures that impel him toward corruption in both his family and his country. The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born is the novel that catapulted Ayi Kwei Armah into the limelight. The novel is generally a satirical attack on the Ghanaian society during Kwame Nkrumah’s regime and the period immediately after independence in the 1960s. It is often claimed to rank with Things Fall Apart as one of the high points of post-colonial African Literature.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/264587.The_Beautyful_Ones_Are_Not_Yet_Born?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_31