Since Homer’s Odyssey, stories of soldiers returning home from war have been brought to life through literature. The ways these soldiers have been depicted offer a unique insight into the culture and prevalent views of the times in which their stories were told.

In this revealing talk, Professor Kate McLoughlin will explore the theme of soldiers’ homecoming in literature and begin to separate the fact from the fiction.

Drawing upon the National Army Museum’s collection, her talk will examine how these stories have evolved over time. She will introduce us to memorable real-life veterans and draw comparisons with some of their literary counterparts.

Kate McLoughlin is a Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford and a fellow of Harris Manchester College. Kate is the author of Authoring War: Literary Representation of War from the Iliad to Iraq, The Cambridge Companion to War Writingand Veteran Poetics: British Literature in the Age of Mass Warfare, 1790-2015. She is currently completing a literary history of silence, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Homecoming: Soldiers’ Stories in Life and Literature