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British Museum Lists Manga Lectures in June and July

The British Museum website is listing the following lectures about manga to accompany its exhibition of Manga, described as the largest outside Japan, from May 23 to August 26. All the lectures (though not the manga workshop) are free but must be booked, and run at lunchtimes.

Saturday June 1. 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. - Curator's introduction to the Citi exhibition Manga. "Exhibition curators Uchida Hiromi, Matsuba Ryoko and Nicole Rousmaniere, British Museum, give a 60-minute introduction to the exhibition." The talk is free but must be booked at the link. Includes live subtitles. In BP Lecture Theatre. The talk is also repeated on Thursday August 1, 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m., link here.

Thursday June 6. 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. - Hokusai as the father of modern manga: facts and fictions. Lecture by Tim Clark, Head of the Japanese section in the Department of Asia, British Museum. "How does modern manga relate to ukiyo-e (‘floating world pictures’), the traditional school of popular art in Japan? Is the celebrated Great Wave print by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) the first example of anime? Tim Clark sifts the evidence." The talk is free but must be booked at the link. In BP Lecture Theatre.

Thursday June 20. 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. - The Japanese manga comic helping Syrian refugee children dream. "Kassoumah Obada grew up with his friends in Syria watching the popular anime Captain Tsubasa... He is now translating his childhood love, the Captain Tsubasa manga, into his native Arabic. His translations are being distributed in Syrian refugee camps and proving to be a huge hit - and helping young Syrians find their own dreams." The talk is free but must be booked at the link. In BP Lecture Theatre.

Sunday June 30. 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. - From manga to Mangasia: the bigger picture. "There's much more to Asian comics than manga. Widen your horizons with international comics expert Paul Gravett, as he examines the unique factors which have helped to make Japan the home of the most dynamic and influential comics culture in Asia. He also situates manga in their wider Asian context, revealing the fascinating connections and contrasts between the medium's diverse forms across the continent, from China and India to The Philippines, Indonesia and beyond. " The talk is free but must be booked at the link. In BP Lecture Theatre.

Thursday July 11. 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. - The art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga. "A lunchtime lecture by Helen McCarthy, author of The Anime Movie Guide and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation." The talk is free but must be booked at the link. In BP Lecture Theatre.

There is also a workshop listed (not a free event) -

Saturday July 20. 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. - Manga drawing 101: a practical introduction. "Join professional manga artist Kutsuwada Chie for a day long practical introduction to drawing Japanese manga. Ticket price includes refreshments, materials as well as entry to the Citi exhibition Manga throughout the day." Tickets are £35, members/concessions £30. In Sackler Rooms.

Admission to British Museum's Manga exhibition will be free to members of the museum; non-members can pre-book tickets (with particular dates and timeslots) here. Adult tickets for non-members are £19.50, while concessions are available, including free entry to under-16s if accompanied by an adult, and a 2-for-1 ticket deal for students on Fridays.

The image above, showing the character Asirpa from the manga Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda, is used on the British Museum website to promote the event.

The British Museum's website describes the exhibition as follows:

Enter a graphic world where art and storytelling collide in the largest exhibition of manga ever to take place outside of Japan. Manga is a visual narrative art form that has become a multimedia global phenomenon, telling stories with themes from gender to adventure, in real or imagined worlds. Immersive and playful, the exhibition will explore manga's global appeal and cultural crossover, showcasing original Japanese manga and its influence across the globe, from anime to ‘cosplay’ dressing up. This influential art form entertains, inspires and challenges – and is brought to life like never before in this ground-breaking exhibition.