First International Congress of the John Gower Society
“1408-2008: The Age of Gower”
12-16 July 2008, London
2008 marked the 600th anniversary of John Gower’s death. To commemorate this event, the John Gower Society, in conjunction with Cardiff University, Queen Mary University of London and Westfield College, University of London, and Southwark Cathedral, organized the First International Congress of the John Gower Society, 12-16 JULY 2008
Sessions were held on the campus of Queen Mary and Westfield College, Mile End.
Conference events included
- evensong and readings from Gower’s Latin, French and English poetry
- a reception, in Southwark Cathedral
- a walking tour of “Gower’s Southwark” led by historian Martha Carlin, author of Medieval Southwark (Hambledon Press, 1996)
- a special tour of the Museum of London
- a banquet aboard a Thames River boat.
For those attendees going on to the New Chaucer Society Congress in Swansea, coaches were arranged for July 17, and could be booked in advance. A stop in Ewelme included a tour of the tomb of Chaucer’s granddaughter and alms houses (led by John Hines).
