MedievalFest
British Library, London.
MedievalFest!
Saturday 7 December. 10:30 – 18:30. British Library Pigott Theatre and online.A medieval extravaganza. A day of fascinating talks from the makers of HISTFEST
More information about MedievalFest tickets
This event will take place in the British Library Knowledge Centre Pigott Theatre. It will be simultaneously live streamed on the British Library platform. Tickets may be booked either to attend in person (physical) or to watch on our platform (online) either live or within 48 hours on catch up. Viewing links for the online version will be sent out in the confirmation email you receive after booking. 10.30AM – ANNA KOMNENE, BYZANTIUM AND THE WIDER WORLD Princess Anna Komnene wrote one of the most important primary sources in medieval literature, The Alexiad. Peter Frankopan details Anna Komnene’s life and times within the context of Byzantium and the wider medieval world, in conversation with Rebecca Rideal. 12.30PM – HOW TO OVERTHROW A MEDIEVAL RULER This event is kindly supported by PLB Ltd. 5PM – MEDIEVAL BODIES
Prepare to go medieval as HistFest brings a historical extravaganza to the British Library this December! Join us for a special day of talks and discussions with leading historians, writers and speakers, who'll delve into rich medieval histories to explore global stories, war, literature, and much more.
Doors open at 10:00.
Half price tickets available for Members, Students, Under 26 and other concession groups.
From the brutality of the battlefield to conspiracies at court – what does it take to overthrow a medieval ruler? Charlie Higson and a star-studded team of experts, Nathen Amin, Helen Castor and Lubaaba Al-Azami, take a deep dive into medieval plots, conspiracies and power.
Charlie Higson is an author, actor, comedian and writer for television and radio. He wrote the Young Bond series which has now sold over a million copies in the UK and has been translated into over 24 different languages. His TV successes include The Fast Show, Randall and Hopkirk Deceased and 2015’s Jekyll and Hyde.
Nathen Amin is an author from Wales who focuses on the fifteenth century. He is the author of The House of Beaufort (2017), Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders (2021) and Son of Prophecy: Origins of the Tudor Dynasty (2024). Nathen is a trustee of the Henry Tudor Trust and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Helen Castor is a historian and a Bye-Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Her first book, Blood & Roses, was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize and won the English Association's Beatrice White Prize. She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, was made into a BBC series, and The Eagle and the Hart has just been published to wide acclaim.
Dr Lubaaba Al-Azami is Lecturer in Shakespeare and Early Modern Literature at the University of Manchester and a research fellow at the University of Liverpool. She is founding editor of the digital platform Medieval and Early Modern Orients. Her book, Traveller in the Golden Realm: How Mughal India Connected England to the World (John Murray Press, 2024), is out now.
3PM – MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: FROM BEOWULF TO DU FU
Historians Michael Wood, Heather O’Donoghue and Janina Ramirez traverse the globe to explore medieval literature – from the epic tale of Beowulf to the oeuvre of one of China’s greatest poets, Du Fu (712-70). What can literature tell us about the Medieval period more broadly?
From Sutton Hoo to Richard II I – much of what we know about the medieval world comes from what has been buried in the earth. Raksha Dave and Shazia Jagot explore the lives of medieval people through the evidence they have left behind. What can burial sites tell us about medieval health? Which recent finds have been most surprising?
This event accompanies the British Library exhibition Medieval Women: In Their Own Words (25 October – 2 March 2025). Separate ticket for exhibition entry required. Explore the Medieval Women events series here.
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