BECOMING A DEATH DOULA FOR THE ALEXANDER ROMANCE May 11 2026, 12-1.30pm GMT 0, Institute of Classical Studies (Online via Zoom)
Part of the CRSN/ICS summer series Overlooked/Undercooked: Classical Reception in Colonial and Postcolonial Southeast Asia As a chronicle of one of history’s greatest conquerors, the Alexander Romance’s travels across time and space exceed even that of its much-storied subject. In her webcomic Alexander, the Servant & the Water of Life, however, Malaysian-Australian artist Reimena Yee ventures to ask if the contemporary world still needs a storytelling tradition that romanticises an imperial vision of conquest and bloodshed. Mustering a dizzying array of illustration styles to match the Romance’s diffusion to both ends of Eurasia and beyond, the webcomic depicts a chameleonic Alexander whose quest for immortality increasingly resembles a one-way trip into the afterlife. Yee, whose work on the webcomic is ongoing, will speak about why she considers herself a death doula for the Romance, which moments in the webcomic were inspired by her Malaysian upbringing and what she makes of the classical tradition’s language of inheritance. There will also be opportunities to learn more about Yee’s extensive research process and previous collaboration with the British Library. - This composition was something I had in mind for a while. I was circling around the theme of the artist/author as responsible for the enduring image of Alexander… though now that he’s under my guardianship, we’re going to be doing things a bit differently. - This academic series I am a part of is so cool!! It’s literally exactly the kind of occasion I created the webcomic for!! I am so excited to join my fellow ASEAN academics and artists in sharing our approaches in interacting with Greco-Roman studies and culture. Thank you to Dr Leslie Wong for the invite! 👀🤩
