Perceval and the Holy Grail

On Tuesday evening January 17 at 7pm, the Friends of the Dover Public Library will present an interactive talk about the Holy Grail by writer and poet Diana Durham. Come hear and participate in one of the world’s most intriguing stories: the quest for the grail as Durham talks about its evolution through the centuries and why it is still relevant in our lives today. Willing audience members will have the chance to become Perceval, Arthur, Morgana, Merlin, the grieving maiden, and other fascinating characters as scenes are acted out from this new dramatic retelling.

In the story of Perceval, the young and impulsive knight travels through a wasteland kingdom of strange warriors and damsels. On his journey, he meets the great King Arthur and the wise wizard Merlin and enters mysterious Grail Castle. Befriended by the sorceress Morgana, he unravels the meaning of the Grail.

Diana Durham speaks and runs workshops about the Arthurian and Grail myths and their meaning, and has told the story of Perceval and the Grail to a wide range of audiences, young and old. She has been called “a fabulous storyteller”, “evocative” and “inspiring”. In addition to her non-fiction book “The Return of King Arthur”, Diana has published two poetry collections, “Sea of Glass” and “To the End of the Night”'. In London, Diana worked with the Angels of Fire performance group, appearing in The Voice Box at the Royal Festival Hall. In New Hampshire, she founded '3 Voices' three women writers, funded in part by the NH State Council on the Arts, who have performed state-wide. She is currently a Visiting Research Associate at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University.

All lectures in the Friends of the Library’s Cultural Series are free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the program. Please call the Library, 516-6050, for more information.