Book Series Guide

Emily Wilson

Author guide

Emily Wilson Books in Order

Emily Wilson is a British-American classicist, translator, author, and professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her scholarship focuses on Greek and Roman literature, classical reception, tragedy, philosophy, and translation. She is known for verse translations of Homer, Seneca, Sophocles, and Euripides, including the acclaimed translations of The Odyssey and The Iliad. She is a MacArthur Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow.

classicsliterary criticismbiographytranslationnonfictionedited volumes

Catalog record updated .

Emily Wilson's Newest Book

Cover of Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys through Ancient Literature

Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys through Ancient Literature

nonfiction · First published 2026

How do we give old words new voices? What must a translator lose - and might she gain - when she moves between languages, bringing ancient stories to modern life? Reflecting on the inspiration, interpretation and (mis)appropriation of words from Antiquity to today, Emily Wilson invites us to explore the translator's art and mind - and gives a wholly fresh insight into the joys and quandaries of her own work. From Athenian comedy and Rome's love of Greek culture to Han Kang's novels, Cardi B's lyrics and the discoveries she made whilst translating Homer, this is a playful and fascinating voyage into the promise, possibility and constant renewal of our founding classical culture.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Odyssey

The Odyssey

The most accessible entry point to Wilson's translation practice and classical scholarship.

Read in order

Books by series

scholarly-reference · ongoing

The Cultural Histories Series

A scholarly series of thematic cultural histories published by Bloomsbury Academic.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    A Cultural History of Tragedy in Antiquity

    Book 1 · edited-volume · 2020

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (1)
  1. Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys through Ancient Literature

    nonfiction · 2026

    How do we give old words new voices? What must a translator lose - and might she gain - when she moves between languages, bringing ancient stories to modern life? Reflecting on the inspiration, interpretation and (mis)appropriation of…

Nonfiction (2)
  1. The Death of Socrates: Hero, Villain, Chatterbox, Saint

    biography · 2007

  2. The Greatest Empire: A Life of Seneca

    biography · 2014

Other (5)
  1. Mocked with Death: Tragic Overliving from Sophocles to Milton

    monograph · 2004

  2. Six Tragedies of Seneca

    translation · 2010

  3. The Odyssey

    translation · 2017

    This epic poem follows Ulysses, one of the Greek leaders that brought an end to the ten-year-long Trojan war. Longing for home, he travels across the Mediterranean Sea to return to his kingdom in Ithaca; unfortunately, our hero manages to…

  4. Oedipus Tyrannos

    translation · 2021

  5. The Iliad

    translation · 2023

Frequently asked questions about Emily Wilson

Who is Emily Wilson?

Emily Wilson is a classicist, literary scholar, translator, author, and professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sources: macfound.org (opens in a new tab)english.upenn.edu (opens in a new tab)

Why is Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey significant?

Published in 2017, it was the first published English translation of Homer’s Odyssey by a woman. Wilson’s clear verse and regular iambic pentameter also helped bring the ancient poem to contemporary readers.

Sources: time.com (opens in a new tab)macfound.org (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Emily Wilson’s interest in Homer and classical literature?

As a child, Wilson played Athena in a school production of The Odyssey, which sparked her interest in the story and theater. She later encountered Homer while studying Ancient Greek in high school.

Source: penntoday.upenn.edu (opens in a new tab)

Where does Emily Wilson teach, and what are her academic roles?

Wilson teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a professor and chair in the Department of Classical Studies. She is also affiliated with Penn’s Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory.

Sources: english.upenn.edu (opens in a new tab)macfound.org (opens in a new tab)

What awards has Emily Wilson received?

Wilson was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2019 and a Guggenheim Fellow in 2020. The Guggenheim fellowship supported her translation work in ancient Greek and Roman literature and philosophy.

Sources: macfound.org (opens in a new tab)penntoday.upenn.edu (opens in a new tab)