The Cultural Attaché at the Hungarian Embassy in Amman, Racsmányné Surányi Regina, on Tuesday, March 15, delivered a lecture on Hungarian literature for graduate students in the Department of English Language and Literature at the School of Foreign Languages at the University of Jordan (UJ).

The lecture, entitled “Petöfi Sándor: John the Valiant”, focused on the famous Hungarian Epic “John the Valiant” which was written by Hungarian writer Petöfi Sándor in 1844.

The epic, which played a major role in defining Hungarian national identity and giving a global dimension to Hungarian literature, tells the story of a shepherd who went through multiple adventures which made him a historical and social icon in the Hungarian literary and cultural imagination.

Moreover, Surányi pointed out that March, 15th coincides with a national day in Hungary that marks the success of the 1848-1849 Revolution and War of Independence in which the same writer Sándor participated.

The lecture, which came within the course “Special Topic in World Literature” that is offered to graduate students enrolled in the PhD program in English literature, was attended also by faculty members from the School, and it included a Q & A session about the historical development of Hungarian literature and the extent to which it affected and was affected by other literary and cultural movements.

According to the course convenor, Dr. Youssef Abu Amrieh, there will be a series of public lectures during this semester for graduate students and faculty members on literary texts from various civilizations and cultures such as Korean, Maltese, and Slovenian literatures, delivered by academics from those countries, either on-campus or online.