Philomel, a non-profit journal for the arts, was founded in 1981 and is published throughout the year by the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania. The Student Activities Council of the University provides funding. Founded in 1813, the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously existing collegiate literary society in the United States and one of the premiere cultural institutions of Philadelphia. As a non-profit, undergraduate-run organization, the Society seeks to promote the learning of its members and to increase the academic prestige of the University. Over the past 187 years, the accomplishments of the Society have included the first complete English translation of the Rosetta Stone in 1858 and the staging of dramatic productions such as The Masque of AmericanDrama in 1916, which incorporated over 1,000 students and 1,500 costumes. Philo was instrumental in founding the University’s departments of History and Sociology of Science, Comparative Literature, and American Civilization, as well as numerous organizations, including the Daily Pennsylvanian and the Debate Council. Today, the Society’s activities include lectures, poetry and fiction readings, art gallery exhibits, concerts, colloquiums, and the publication of the literary omnibus, Philomel. The name was chosen accordingly: "philomel" is Greek for nightingale, an ancient symbol of creativity and poetic inspiration. As well as on bookshelves, you can find issues of the literary magazine online. Enjoy our website!