Reflections on teaching Derek Walcott's Omeros: slow reading approaches to the postcolonial epic.

This article examines the pedagogical practice of slow reading applied to Derek Walcott’s epic poem *Omeros*, highlighting its contributions to Walcott scholarship, innovative teaching methods, and postcolonial and diasporic studies. Through a five-week seminar series at the University of East Anglia, students engaged in close reading and theoretical reflection on *Omeros*, exploring its classical allusions, narrative voice, cultural identity, and postcolonial themes such as displacement and hybridity. The teaching approach emphasized dialogue, comparative analysis, and the interplay between poetic form and historical context, enabling students to appreciate the epic’s exploration of Caribbean identity and the complexities of cultural inheritance. The article underscores how Walcott’s work invites a serene acceptance of the stranger and challenges traditional epic conventions by situating the heroic within the lived experiences of postcolonial subjects.