It might sound hellish, but don’t be deceived by the title; learning about Dante’s Inferno has proved to be a simply divine experience for Highlands Adult and Community Education students over the past year.
In early 2023, first-class Oxford graduate Katie Bastiman began offering Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced courses on ‘The Divine Comedy’, often referred to as one of the greatest works of European literature.
The classes take place on Wednesday evenings at the Philip Mourant Centre and so far have seen four cohorts of enthusiastic learners take the voyage through Dante’s depictions of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
“I wasn’t sure whether I’d get enough students to run the class, but the first time I offered it, it sold out weeks in advance!” Katie said. “I am really passionate about Dante, and it’s been such a joy to share that passion with my students and watch their confidence grow. Many of my students began with the six-week beginner course, then progressed onto the intermediate and advanced courses, and I’m so proud of how much they’ve learned. It’s more than just a class now – it’s become a community.”
The Divine Comedy’ is a poem written around 700 years ago which tells the story of a journey through the afterlife.
“Even though it’s a medieval text, my students are consistently surprised by how much they can relate to it,” Katie commented. “It’s about life, death, love, self-improvement, and so much more. There really is something for everyone.”
And prospective Dante students don’t need to worry about feeling intimidated, despite the academic nature of the course. Katie’s approach focuses on making the sessions friendly and interactive, and feedback from previous courses has underlined that the courses are ‘informative, engaging, and fun.’
If you’re interested in learning something new, the Beginner Dante course will be offered once more in 2024, beginning on Wednesday 8th May and running for six weeks with a break for half term.
Click here to learn more about the course on the Highlands ACE website or contact Katie at katie.bastiman@highlands.ac.uk to find out more.
