Big Book Club THE ODYSSEY Live
Introducing The Readings Big Book Club: Bringing thinkers and readers together to explore great works of literature.
Our inaugural five-part Book Club series will occur weekly from Thursday June 18 to Thursday July 16 and explores Homer's The Odyssey. The series takes place at Cinema Nova and is hosted by Michael Williams, editor of The Monthly.
Each session, commencing at 6.50pm sharp, is guided by one of The University of Melbourne's leading academics, featuring a 35-minute lecture, followed by conversation and audience discussion:
June 18th - Dr Seth Robinson – The Odyssey: The Original Hero's Journey
June 25th - A/Prof K.O. Chong-Gossard – The Women in The Odyssey
July 2nd - Dr Tom Hercules Davies – Who was Homer?
July 9th - A/Prof Ika Willis – The Afterlives of The Odyssey
July 16th - Screening of Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film adaptation of The Odyssey
Live in-cinema Big Book Club membership:
MEMBER EARLY ACCESS: $200 for Readings subscribers, Cinema Nova subscribers and University of Melbourne Alumni. Please note Early Access pricing is available for a limited time, with tickets at this discounted rate ending at midnight on Sunday May 17, 2026.
PUBLIC ACCESS: $250. This price will apply from Monday May 18, 2026.
There is an Online/virtual Big Book Club membership available, please see the separate ticket listing.
Registration includes access to all four seminars and a copy of Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Emily Wilson). Live in-cinema membership includes a ticket to a public screening of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of The Odyssey, to take place at Cinema Nova. All seating is allocated and consistent across all sessions.
Conditions:
By purchasing a membership to the Live or Online Big Book Club you agree to receive email correspondence regarding the event by the presenting partners. Email correspondence will include full information about the event including collection of your copy of The Odyssey as well as cinema ticket information, once tickets to the film go on sale. Please note that once The Readings Big Book Club has commenced (June 18, 2026), refunds and changes to your membership cannot be made.
Our inaugural five-part Book Club series will occur weekly from Thursday June 18 to Thursday July 16 and explores Homer's The Odyssey. The series takes place at Cinema Nova and is hosted by Michael Williams, editor of The Monthly.
Each session, commencing at 6.50pm sharp, is guided by one of The University of Melbourne's leading academics, featuring a 35-minute lecture, followed by conversation and audience discussion:
June 18th - Dr Seth Robinson – The Odyssey: The Original Hero's Journey
June 25th - A/Prof K.O. Chong-Gossard – The Women in The Odyssey
July 2nd - Dr Tom Hercules Davies – Who was Homer?
July 9th - A/Prof Ika Willis – The Afterlives of The Odyssey
July 16th - Screening of Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film adaptation of The Odyssey
Live in-cinema Big Book Club membership:
MEMBER EARLY ACCESS: $200 for Readings subscribers, Cinema Nova subscribers and University of Melbourne Alumni. Please note Early Access pricing is available for a limited time, with tickets at this discounted rate ending at midnight on Sunday May 17, 2026.
PUBLIC ACCESS: $250. This price will apply from Monday May 18, 2026.
There is an Online/virtual Big Book Club membership available, please see the separate ticket listing.
Registration includes access to all four seminars and a copy of Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Emily Wilson). Live in-cinema membership includes a ticket to a public screening of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of The Odyssey, to take place at Cinema Nova. All seating is allocated and consistent across all sessions.
Conditions:
By purchasing a membership to the Live or Online Big Book Club you agree to receive email correspondence regarding the event by the presenting partners. Email correspondence will include full information about the event including collection of your copy of The Odyssey as well as cinema ticket information, once tickets to the film go on sale. Please note that once The Readings Big Book Club has commenced (June 18, 2026), refunds and changes to your membership cannot be made.
| Commences | Thursday, 18 Jun 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rating | E15+ |
| Genre | Drama |
| Running Time | 90 |
| Language |
Show
Times
Session times for the new cinema week, commencing each Thursday, will be released the Tuesday afternoon prior
