ACADEMICS and thespians will discuss Shakespeare's work from the perspective of neuroscientists.

The discussion, entitled Shakespeare and the Brain, will take place on Saturday at the St Edmund Hall Centre for the Creative Brain in Queen's Lane, Oxford, from 2.30pm to 6pm.

Speakers will include Kelly Hunter, Prof Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, Dr Tom MacFaul, and Roland Oliver.

Ms Hunter is a director and creator of the Hunter Heartbeat Method, a technique which uses Shakespeare’s rhythmic language to help children with autism to communicate.

Prof Quian Quiroga, is professor of Systems Neuroscience and author of Borges and Memory, linking the thoughts of Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges with memory research in neuroscience.

Dr Tom MacFaul is a St Edmund Hall lecturer in Renaissance poetry and drama and Oxford alumnus Roland Oliver will perform some readings.

The event is free and welcomes undergraduates, postgraduates, parents, and academics, and anyone with an interest in Shakespeare or the brain.

This year is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death and there have been events and performances throughout the year in Oxford to commemorate the anniversary.

For further information visit ox.ac.uk