Many nations are built on the cults of one or more national bards, from Virgil and Ferdowsi, to Shota Rustaveli and Nguyễn Du. Most bards preside over alleged golden ages: the Elizabethan Age for Shakespeare, “the Golden Century” for Cervantes and Camões, and “the Golden Age of Russian literature” for Pushkin, among others. The workshop, led by TORCH International Fellow, Professor Yuri Slezkine from UC Berkeley, will attempt to establish some connections and regularities. For more information please see the event website: torch.ox.ac.uk/event/national-bards-in-comparative-perspective