5 June 2011
Honorary graduates to take part in public events
Two of the University of Dundee's honorary graduates will take part in public events as part of the celebrations around Graduation later this month.
John Byrne, the Scottish artist, playwright and author, will discuss his life’s work, while Professor Douglas Hanahan will reveal 'The Hallmarks of Cancer' in the Greatest Minds lecture.
In one of the most widely discussed perspectives on cancer in recent years, Professors Douglas Hanahan and Robert Weinberg laid out 'The Hallmarks of Cancer', a set of six distinctive capabilities that are necessarily acquired in one way or another by most human cancers.
Cancer is a daunting disease, arising in hundreds of variations in different organs. But the question asked by Professors Hanahan and Weinberg was whether all cancers share common aspects.
In the 'Greatest Minds' lecture Professor Hanahan, Director of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, will introduce the concept of cancer hallmarks, what they are, and why they might be useful in developing future treatments for the disease.
The Greatest Minds Lecture 2011 takes place at 6pm on Wednesday June 22nd in the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, University of Dundee. All are welcome to attend and the event is free.
Free tickets are available from: www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets, in person at the reception desk of the Tower Building in Perth Road, or by calling 01382 632763.
The following day, Thursday June 23rd, Literary Dundee presents 'Beyond Tutti Frutti - In Conversation with John Byrne'.
John Byrne will be sitting down for a unique conversation, discussing his life and work with David Graham, MD of Aurum Press.
Mr Byrne has had a hugely diverse career. He has designed theatre sets and record covers for Donovan, The Beatles, Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly. His first play 'Writer’s Cramp' (1977) was followed by 'The Slab Boys in' (1978) and won him the Evening Standard’s most promising playwright award. In 1983 there was a New York production of ‘The Slab Boys’ with Sean Penn, Val Kilmer and Kevin Bacon. In 1986 he wrote the immensely successful, six-time BAFTA award-winning television series ‘Tutti Frutti’ starring Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson and Richard Wilson. This was followed by another series ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ with Tilda Swinton and countless other plays and films to the present day.
His work is held in major collections in Scotland and abroad. Several of his paintings hang in The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the museum of Modern Art and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.
In 2001 he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list for services to literature and the theatre but returned it in protest at the British Government's joining forces with the US Administration's invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.
'Beyond Tutti Frutti - In Conversation with John Byrne' takes place at 5pm on Thursday June 23rd in the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, University of Dundee.
The talk will be followed by a book signing with Mr Byrne.
Free tickets for the event are available from www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets, by phone on 01382 384413 or e-mail at literarydundee@gmail.com
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902 |
