The Bodleian Libraries has opened a new exhibition titled ‘Chaucer Here and Now’.

The exhibition exploring the legacies of Geoffrey Chaucer’s work started last Friday.

It contains the oldest existing manuscript of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ written around 1400.

The book is on loan from the National Library of Wales.

The exhibition also features a copy of ‘Troilus and Criseyde’ on loan from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

This copy has become famous for its elaborate illustrations.

The display charts responses to Chaucer’s work over the years and highlights its lasting influence.

This includes commentary from contemporary authors such as Patience Agbabi and Zadie Smith.

It also displays translations of the texts in Latin, Ukrainian, Japanese and other languages, with the aim to highlight the transcendental nature of the work.

Professor Marion Turner, the curator of the exhibition, wrote: “Chaucer’s poetry remains extraordinarily influential today, both here and around the world.

“It is a unique celebration not only of one of the best poets ever to have written, but also of the power of readers to create new, vibrant things of wonder, inspired by the past.”

Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s librarian, said: “Through this unique exhibition we hope that visitors will come to understand that his work is just as relevant now as it was in the 14th century.”

The exhibition is open until April 2024.