The Penn English Program in London for 2006-07
Welcome to the Penn English Program in London, and to a semester or year of studying and living in one of the most vibrant, multicultural cities in the world. London is a huge commercial metropolis, home to more than seven million people (a third of whom were born elsewhere). The last fifty years have brought extraordinary change to London, and now, by some estimates, more than 300 languages are spoken in the city! But London also retains its historic charms, and features wonderful parks, buildings, and of course the winding Thames. Your experiences in the UK will change your understanding of contemporary Britain and will also add considerably to your study of British literature and history, and you will return to Penn with a more cosmopolitan sense of the trans-Atlantic world and its myriad cultures. You will also have fun, so if you have not yet considered applying, do so now!
Suvir Kaul and Ania Loomba are the Faculty Directors of the program this year, and we will be accompanied by two graduate students from the English Department at Penn, Ian Cornelius and Joshua Ratner. Each of us is looking forward to rediscovering the joys of London in your company, and to exciting theatre (that is how it is spelled there), excursions, walks, museum visits, film festivals, contemporary food (yes, the cuisine is world-class now), historic pubs (some of which have been serving food and drink for three centuries), and football (the real thing, not the NFL!).
Regards, and we hope to see you there—
Ania Loomba and Suvir Kaul