Read The Odyssey and The Odyssey Mindset with me
7-Week Group Class - Join The Waitlist
My first group has now sold out but don't fret, I will be running another quicker than Zeus can strike you with a thunderbolt.
Join me to read The Odyssey and The Odyssey Mindset. It’s much easier to keep persevering with a classic text when you have some friends to help you along.
We will read The Odyssey together with my new book The Odyssey Mindset, which will be published on June 11th 2026. The Odyssey Mindset weaves together Homer’s ancient epic with modern psychology. We will study and discuss the story of the Odyssey but also look at the lessons we can learn from it to guide our lives in the 21st century.
Each week we will take a section of The Odyssey, and its corresponding chapters in The Odyssey Mindset, and consider why and how this incredible poem continues to influence us so profoundly.
You don’t have to have a previous knowledge of The Odyssey, nor do you need to know any ancient Greek. If you love sharing ideas with other like-minded people and talking about books, then this is for you.
The course will run over 7 weeks and costs £350. Groups will be between 10-12 people.
Week 1 How to Begin - Embarking on Your Journey
We begin with the opening of The Odyssey and the call to journey through disruption, disorientation and the necessity of action. We explore radical acceptance, psychological flexibility and what it means to respond when life does not follow the script. Every odyssey starts with accepting the challenge, including reading the Odyssey! We will look at books 1-4 in The Odyssey.
Week 2 How to Dig Deep - Finding Your Inner Strength
Through Odysseus’ endurance at sea and Telemachus’ early transformation, we examine resilience under pressure. This week focuses on inner strength, self-efficacy and the shift from helplessness to agency? We will look at book 5 of The Odyssey.
Week 3 Finding Your Crew - How To Build the Relationships That Sustain You
From Athene’s mentorship to the bonds of loyalty and betrayal, we consider the power of relationships. We explore modelling, mentorship and the importance of choosing who travels alongside us. No odyssey is navigated entirely alone. We will look at books 6-7 of The Odyssey.
Week 4 Be Your Own Homer – Telling Your Story
As Odysseus narrates his adventures to the Phaeacians, we examine the psychological power of storytelling. This week explores identity, narrative reframing and how the stories we tell shape who we become. How can we author our experiences rather than be defined by them? We will look at books 9-10 in The Odyssey.
Week 5 How to Navigate the Depths – Facing Grief, Wisdom and Life’s Impossible Choices
With the Underworld, loss of companions and moral complexity, we enter the darker terrain of the epic. This session examines grief, trauma, ambiguity and the integration of painful experience. Growth comes from facing the depths. We will look at books 11-12 in The Odyssey.
Week 6 Holding on to Your Ithaca – Creating Your Vision and Preparing for Arrival
As Ithaca draws near, we reflect on vision, values and what “home” truly means. This week considers purpose, long-term direction and how to sustain hope during prolonged uncertainty. What are you really travelling toward? We will look at books 13-16 in The Odyssey.
Week 7 Arrival – Becoming Yourself
We conclude with Odysseus’ return, integration and the reclaiming of identity. This session focuses on reintegration after change and how we come home altered yet whole. Arrival is not the end of the journey; it is the beginning of becoming fully ourselves. We will look at books 17-24 of The Odyssey, focusing on books 21-24.
What You Need
A copy of Emily Wilson’s translation of the Odyssey and a copy of the Odyssey Mindset.
Cost
It's £350 for the 7 week course
About Dr Sam Akbar
As an Oxford classicist and clinical psychologist, I have a unique dual expertise which allows me to weave together evidence-based psychology and the wisdom of the ancient world in a way that is relevant, current and practical for the modern 21st century reader. The result is the ‘The Odyssey Mindset: 7 timeless lessons for life’. The Odyssey Mindset powerfully reframes and recasts one of the world’s oldest and beloved myths into an essential guide that offers fresh perspectives on modern problems.
If you are keen to join the waitlist, then just message me by clicking below and let me know that you are interested.