Speaking on Saturday, February 7, 2026, we have :
1st: Laura Coffey – Enchanted Islands.
Join Laura for on a mythical journey through the real world. Together we will travel through tiny archipelagos and explore mystical Mediterranean islands thought to be the setting of Odysseus’s epic journey.
We will encounter sea monsters and sex goddesses, fragile masculinity, toxic gods, polyamory and plenty of narcissism as we look again at this old text with fresh eyes. Together, we will explore what myths are, the importance of the stories we tell ourselves, and the magical task of mapping imaginary worlds.
Laura Coffey is not a classics scholar, she cannot read Ancient Greek, often finds herself utterly lost, and so is an unlikely author of a book on mapping The Odyssey.
Stephen Fry said it’s “a magical and hugely captivating journey – a simply marvellous read, hugely recommended”.
Laura’s book Enchanted Islands: A Mediterranean Odyssey, has also been selected by Wanderlust and Citizen Femme as a top travel book for 2024, and by Blackwells as recommended summer reading. It has been long listed for the Anglo Hellenic League Runciman Award
Laura is happy to sign copies after the talk.
You can find out more about the book: Enchanted Islands: A Mediterranean Odyssey
2nd: Nick Fielding – Crossing from Almaty to the Aral Sea basin.
In May 2025 Nick Fielding took part in an expedition with a group of Kazakhs for more than 2000 miles across southern Kazakhstan, from Almaty to the Aral Sea basin in the west of the country.
For at least the last 50 years the Aral has been drying out as water has been extracted from its two feeder rivers, the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, for agriculture. Fielding travelled to the north of the sea, where there are signs that at least part of the Aral Sea is being regenerated, due to the construction of a new dam.
Further south, there is only sand and scrub where there was once an inland sea. He visited the former island nature reserve of Barsa Kelemes, which is now surrounded by an ocean of sand.
He was also able to visit some of the many impressive archaeological sites along the route.
Date & Time: Saturday 7th February 2026
Doors open at 14:15 in London and on Zoom with the talks starting around 14:45 (London see Event Time Announcer for local times), please arrive before 14:45 and switch your phone to “do not disturb” or silent.
We would ask that anyone with respiratory symptoms participate via Zoom.
Admission costs:
- £7 for members. (Members can access a ticket code below or from the members area.)
- £10 for non-members. (save £3 if you join at this meeting)
- a recording to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders.
Please sign up for meeting updates to get notifications for future meetings.