At exactly 11 a.m. on Friday, March 20, a single work resonated across continents. From Greece to Japan, from Mexico to Poland, via Singapore, Réunion Island and Colombia, readers came together with a shared purpose: to bring Daphnis and Chloe, the emblematic work of the ancient Greek writer Longus, to life.
A preparation as meaningful as the reading itself
This participation was made possible thanks to the initiative of their teacher, Mélanie Racine, who supported the group throughout the project. Behind this reading lies a process of personal preparation, often carried out beyond the academic setting, as well as a close, individual connection to the text.
For Adrien Williams Drakopoulos, an American student of Greek origin, the experience also took on a personal dimension rooted in his family :
I asked my grandmother to help me read the text in Greek. She recorded her voice so I could practise pronouncing each word clearly.
Adrien Williams Drakopoulos
Michail Georgoudis, a Greek student, also relied on his family to better engage with the text :
I worked with members of my family, including my grandparents and my sister, who helped me understand certain words in Ancient Greek. This allowed me to better grasp the meaning of the text before reading it.
Michail Georgoudis
An ancient work with a universal resonance
Featured in this 20th edition of the European Latin and Greek Festival, Daphnis and Chloe by Longus is a foundational text, often considered one of the earliest novels in Western literature. Through its poetic style, it explores themes of love, nature and personal growth.
The concept behind this collective reading is both simple and powerful: for one hour, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., participants around the world read excerpts of the work aloud, each in their own language. These performances are filmed and later shared on the festival’s platforms, creating an international mosaic of voices and cultures.
For Adrien and Michail, who were discovering Daphnis and Chloe for the first time, this reading also marked their first encounter with the text.
The text really moved me. There is something in the way it is written that creates a feeling of happiness.
Adrien Williams Drakopoulos
A perspective that echoes the timeless nature of the work :
What struck me is how similar the depiction of love in Daphnis and Chloe is to that of today. The emotions remain the same, despite the centuries.
Michail Georgoudis
UCLy on the map of a global event
By taking part in this initiative, the ILCF group appears on the festival’s interactive map alongside hundreds of other participants around the world. A living map that illustrates both the scale of the event and the diversity of its readers.
A living experience of language and culture
Beyond the performance itself, this reading was also a moment of learning and sharing. Reading aloud, engaging with a text, and bringing it to life in a language being learned is a demanding exercise, one that Adrien and Michail rose to with confidence.
For them, this experience combined language practice with cultural immersion, while taking part in a truly unique event. Filmed in the Rotonde at the Saint-Paul campus, their reading captures a moment at the crossroads of past and present.
Watch their reading below !
