The Murray Edwards Sixth Form Lecture Series
Hosted at Murray Edward College, the Sixth Form Lecture Series will dive into English Literature, French, Spanish, Classics and many more literature and language-based subjects by exploring many commonly studied A Level texts and topics in new and interesting ways.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with Fellows from the University of Cambridge; gain an insight into Cambridge University’s teaching approach; improve their critical thinking and analytical skills; and prepare to make applications to selective universities with the support of the Murray Edwards College Director of Admissions.
Join us at Murray Edwards College (Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DF) from 17:30 for refreshments and informal conversations with current students. The lectures themselves will begin at 18:00 and be an hour in duration.
You do not need to fill out a form to attend the lectures: it is free and open to anyone. However, if you would like to be kept up to date regarding the sessions and receive any post-lecture resources, please complete this form.
If you require parking, please email outreach@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk
The Murray Edwards Sixth Form Lecture Series is free and open to anyone who is interested in languages and literature: you do not need to fill out a form to attend.
Summer 2026 Programme
Analysing unseen poetry
Wednesday 6th May 2026
17:30 for food and refreshments and 18:00-19:00 (GMT) for the lecture itself.
Buckingham House, Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DF
The lecture will focus on the skill of analysing unseen poetry which is utilised when studying English, Modern and Medieval Languages and Classics degrees at Cambridge. Students interested in any of these courses or who who are currently studying poetry will benefit from seeing how these skills are taught at University.
This lecture will be delivered by Dr Charlotte Lee, one of Murray Edwards' Directors of Studies and Fellows of German. Dr Lee's primary focus is German literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with a particular emphasis on poetry. She is currently working on a study of the relationship between poetry and physical movement. The project looks at poetry in German, English and French.
If you would like to be kept up to date on the series and receive any post-lecture resources, please complete this form.
Feminist reworkings of literary heritage: The Handmaid's Tale and The Bloody Chamber
Wednesday 20th May 2026
17:30 for food and refreshments and 18:00-19:00 (GMT) for the lecture itself.
Paula Browne House, Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DF
Dr Jenny Bavidge will deliver a lecture discussing how authors use and interpret fairy tales and stories from our literary heritage. She will particularly focus on Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber in her talk.
Dr Bavidge's particular research interests lie in contemporary fiction, ecocriticism, children's literature, and thinking about how literature represents urban life.
We think you will be interested in this webinar if you are currently studying: English, Sociology, Politics or History.
If you would like to be kept up to date on the series and receive any post-lecture resources, please complete this form.
Shakespeare and the nasty nineties
Wednesday 10th June 2026
17:30 for food and refreshments and 18:00-19:00 (GMT) for the lecture itself.
Buckingham House, Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DF
In this lecture, Dr Stuart Palmer will discuss the context in which Shakespeare wrote some of his most famous works and how they may have impacted his writing.
The 1590s were a period of social, cultural, political and ecological disruption. It was also the decade Shakespeare established his career in London and wrote some of his early comedies, histories, and tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice to name a few. This lecture will discuss how the context in England at the time may have influenced the bard's work.
If you would like to be kept up to date on the series and receive any post-lecture resources, please complete this form.