Comprehending the Universal and Embracing the Particular: Attitudes to Cultural Exchange in the Friendship of Thomas Manning and Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb Society, Summer Lecture, 2 for 2.30pm
Join us for a talk by Dr. Ed Weech at the Charles Lamb Society. This event will be held both in person at the Royal Asiatic Society, and online (through Zoom). The in person event will begin at 2pm, allowing time for coffee and biscuits before the lecture starts at 2.30pm.
One of the first British people to study Chinese language and culture, Thomas Manning (1772-1840) dedicated most of his adult life to exploring the Far East at a time when its history and heritage were largely unknown within Britain. Manning was also a close friend, correspondent, and important influence on Charles Lamb. Drawing on the speaker's book Chinese Dreams in Romantic England: The Life and Times of Thomas Manning (2022), this talk asks how the friendship between Manning and Lamb reveals their attitudes towards intercultural communication. While contrasting Manning and Lamb’s reputations for cosmopolitanism and parochialism, the talk explores how their respective approaches intersect with the broader intellectual categories of the universal and the particular.
Dr Edward Weech is Librarian at the Royal Asiatic Society and a Trustee of the Charles Lamb Society. Chinese Dreams will be on sale for a (very!) discounted price at the event (cash only).
