I grew up in a small seaside town in Northern Ireland, before heading off to the 'mainland' to study Classics at university: first at Edinburgh, and then in London. After teaching in various roles across the University of London, I joined Newcastle in 2018 as an hourly-paid Associate Lecturer, then spent a year on a temporary appointment as Lecturer in Classics (2019-20), before finally re-joining as a permanent Lecturer in Classics (Teaching & Scholarship) from September 2020. 

I teach a wide range of Ancient Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies modules here at Newcastle - you can find out more about these in the 'Teaching' tab. I am committed to creating an inclusive and accessible experience for all of my students, and enjoy exploring new and innovative approaches to language learning, assessment, and student engagement.

As a first-generation student from a working class background, I'm a firm believer that Classics (in its broadest sense) should be accessible to everyone, and I work closely with our central outreach programmes, local schools, arts and heritage partners and national charities to introduce more people - from school age to the retired! - to the literature, history, material culture, and languages of the ancient world. If you would like to find out more about how we can support the study of Ancient History, Classical Civilisation, Latin or Greek from KS1 to Sixth Form, just drop me a line at the address above!

Qualifications

2005-2009 MA Classics, University of Edinburgh

2011-2013 MSc Classics, University of Edinburgh

2013-2018 PhD Classics, University of London (RHUL)

Roles and Responsibilities

Policy Academy Fellow 2022

Academic Lead for Digital Education (History, Classics & Archaeology)

Schools Outreach Lead (Classics & Ancient History)

PARTNERS Programme Subject Lead (Classics & Ancient History)

Classics for All Academic Lead (Newcastle/North East)

Brilliant Club Tutor - The Scholars Programme

Arts Emergency Mentor

Memberships

International Association for Presocratic Studies

Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies

Classical Association (UK)

Society for Psychical Research

UK Council for Graduate Education

UK Council of International Student Affairs

Ulster Architectural Heritage Society

Student Consultation Hours (Sem. 1): Tuesday 2-3pm & Friday 10-11am; 1pm - 2pm

• CAC1015 How Should I Live? An Introduction to Ancient Moral Philosophy
• CAG1012 Intermediate Greek: Euripides Medea
• CAG2001 Greek Interpretation of Texts: Myths of the Underworld
• CAC2064/3064 Dreams and Dreaming in the Ancient World
• CAG3002/8002 Special Study in Greek  

As Contributor:

• CAC8110 MA Ancient Cultures in Context
• CAC2001 Researching the Classics
• SEL1023 Transformations
• CAC3000/CAH3000 Dissertation 

• CLA1002 Beginners Latin in Action 2
• CLA1011 Intermediate Latin 1: Virgil's Aeneid 
• CLA1012 Intermediate Latin 2: Virgil's Aeneid 
• CLA3001 Latin Interpretation of Texts: Latin Letters
• CLA2002 Special Study in Latin: Hellenistic Philosophy 

• CAG1011 Intermediate Greek 1: Lysias On the Murder of Eratosthenes 
• CAG1012 Intermediate Greek 2: Euripides Medea (2020-21)
• CAG1012 Intermediate Greek 2: Euripides Helen (2019-20)
• CAG1012 Intermediate Greek 2: Demosthenes Third Philippic (2018-19) 
• CAG2001 Greek Interpretation of Texts: Myths of the Underworld (2019-20; 2020-21)
• CAG2002 Special Study in Greek: Sacred and Divine Diseases
• CAG3002/8002 Special Study in Greek: Hippocratic De Morbo Sacro
• CAG2001 Greek Interpretation of Texts: Plato's Phaedo (2018-19)

• CAC1015 How Should I Live? An Introduction to Ancient Moral Philosophy
• CAC2001 Researching the Classics: (In)famous Oedipus
• CAC2064/3064 Dreams and Dreaming in the Ancient World
• Dissertation: Classics, Classical Studies, Ancient History, Classics & English
• CAC8106 MA Independent Research Project 
• CAC8110 MA Ancient Cultures in Context: Globalising Ancient Epic (2020-21)
• CAC8110 MA Ancient Cultures in Context: Ancient Medicine (2019-20)
• CAC8000 MA Research Skills and Development: Working with Fragments

My research interests lie primarily in ancient thought - especially the interactions between literature, philosophy, and medicine in the areas of cosmology, physiology, epistemology and psychology. I am particularly interested in Presocratic philosophy and Hippocratic medicine - I have recently completed my first monograph, Sleep and Dreams in Early Greek Thought which places the theories of the Presocratics and Hippocratics on both phenomena in their full cultural and intellectual context. It will be published by Routledge as part of their Medicine and the Body in Antiquity series. Linked to my research on dreams, I am also working on an interactive project on the use of anatomical votives in the cult of Asclepius - a product of participating in the Thinking Through Things: Object Encounters in the Medical Humanities ECR training held at the Wellcome Collection. Beyond this, I am also interested in classical reception (across many different genres and mediums), methodologies of translation, and ancient language pedagogy. I am currently researching alternative learning activities and assessment for Latin and Ancient Greek through my Applied Ancient Languages project, supported by the HaSS Faculty Teaching Development Fund.

As a product of my ongoing work with Classics for All, The Brilliant Club, and other widening participation initiatives, my interest in educational outreach has developed into an adjacent area of research and impact. My next project, Romans on the Tyne, kindly funded by Newcastle University's Engagement & Place Fund and the Classical Association, will focus on introducing all pupils in the Tyneside area to the Roman past in an accessible and hands-on way to support literacy and socio-cultural development, in collaboration with arts and heritage partners across the region. It will also support employability for current Newcastle students through a series of paid graduate-level internships.

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students on projects related to any of these topics.

• Holton S. Sleep and Dreams in Early Greek Thought: Presocratic and Hippocratic Approaches. London: Routledge, 2022. In Press.
• Holton S. Body Parts. Durham: Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University, 2020. Available at: https://thepolyphony.org/2020/06/14/body-parts/.
• Holton S. Creative Translation in Classics. Newcastle upon Tyne: LTDS, Newcastle University, 2020. Available at: https://microsites.ncl.ac.uk/casestudies/2020/07/27/creative-translation-in-classics/.
• Magowan S. Alcmaeon of Croton, Philosopher Physician. Hektoen International Journal of Medical Humanities 2015, 7(3).
• Magowan S. Review A. Gregory, The Presocratics and the Supernatural: Magic, Philosophy and Science in Early Greece, London 2013. Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2014, 2014.11.22.