*Wednesday 20th November, 7 to 8.30 p.m., in Arts Faculty Lecture Room 1, 3- 5, Woodland Road:

Talk, illustrated with slides, by Gordon Barrass, author of 'The Art of Calligraphy in Modern China' and the guest curator of 'Brushes with Surprise', the exhibition held at the British Museum this Spring

Calligraphy, the art of fine writing with the brush, holds pride of place in Chinese culture. New ways of writing, new concepts of the arts and a new society in which traditional values were challenged have necessitated a reconsideration of this ancient art. Through some extraordinary innovations calligraphy has been refreshed over the past half century and has become much more accessible to people who do not read Chinese. Every one of the outstanding artists who have been involved in this process has led an extraordinary life.