6 days of virtual Blackfriars Talks from:
Saturday 12th September to Thursday 17th September.
With brand new on-line and on-demand content for new digital experiences.
All the elements which have made the event so successful in the past will still be there this year.
sat14sep10:30 amJoan of Arc & The Hundred Years WarJanina Ramirez
September 14, 2024 10:30 am(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed Joan of Arc is an almost mythic medieval figure, her image still instantly recognisable after half a millennium. Her tale is both familiar yet endlessly startling. The peasant
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
Joan of Arc is an almost mythic medieval figure, her image still instantly recognisable after half a millennium. Her tale is both familiar yet endlessly startling.
The peasant girl sent by God to save France, dressed in armour as though she were a man, the maid who rescued Orléans and led her king to be crowned at Reims, the martyr who became a legend – and later a saint – when she was burned at the stake by the English enemy in 1431.
In a compelling new illustrated talk bestselling Femina author Janina Ramirez untangles fact from fiction to bring Joan of Arc and medieval France vividly to life.
sat14sep12:15 pmLady in WaitingAnne Glenconner
September 14, 2024 12:15 pm British Summer Time(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed A Maid of Honour at Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 and former Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Anne Glenconner has spent her entire life as a
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
A Maid of Honour at Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 and former Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Anne Glenconner has spent her entire life as a friend of the royal family.
In her bestselling memoirs she looks back on an extraordinary life full of glamour, drama and tragedy. And in a rare appearance, she lifts the lid on life at court, offering a ringside seat on major events in 20th century history and offers a frank, fearless and enormously entertaining portrait of the realities of life in the shadow of the Crown.
sat14sep2:00 pmTom Kerridge Cooks BritainTom Kerridge
September 14, 2024 2:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£15 / £6 Livestreamed Gloucester-born Tom Kerridge is one of Britain’s best-loved and most inspiring chefs, the owner of The Hand & Flowers in Marlow, the only pub in Britain to
£15 / £6 Livestreamed
Gloucester-born Tom Kerridge is one of Britain’s best-loved and most inspiring chefs, the owner of The Hand & Flowers in Marlow, the only pub in Britain to hold two Michelin stars.
He joins us to tell the tale of his recent culinary road trip through the best of British food and its rich heritage, now a major BBC TV series, as well as sharing his own story and the Gloucester inspiration behind his famous Matson sauce.
‘Tom Kerridge is a national treasure and this is his gift to the nation.’ – Jay Rayner
sat14sep4:00 pmCharles III: New King, New CourtRobert Hardman
September 14, 2024 4:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed Acclaimed royal biographer Robert Hardman, author of the chart-topping book and BBC1 documentary Coronation, offers a fascinating account of the tumultuous period of royal history since Charles
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
Acclaimed royal biographer Robert Hardman, author of the chart-topping book and BBC1 documentary Coronation, offers a fascinating account of the tumultuous period of royal history since Charles III became King. How would – or could – he fill the shoes of the record-breaking Elizabeth II?
His talk, full of intriguing insider details, explores the transition between Elizabeth and Charles, the political upheavals of his first years as monarch and reflects on the current state of the House of Windsor and what the future may bring.
sat14sep6:00 pmThe Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage DramaBen Macintyre
September 14, 2024 6:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed The Times’ columnist and bestselling espionage writer Ben Macintyre is the author of the book and film Operation Mincemeat, Agent Zigzag and The Spy and The Traitor. In
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
The Times’ columnist and bestselling espionage writer Ben Macintyre is the author of the book and film Operation Mincemeat, Agent Zigzag and The Spy and The Traitor.
In his major new book The Siege he shares the definitive inside story of the greatest SAS hostage drama: the infamous 1980 siege on the Iranian Embassy in London, drawing on unpublished source material, exclusive new interviews with the SAS, and testimony from witnesses including hostages, negotiators and intelligence officers.
sat14sep8:00 pmHenry VDan Jones
September 14, 2024 8:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£14 / £6 Livestreamed Henry V, victor at the Battle of Agincourt, is one of the most intriguing characters in history. A sometimes brutal warrior, he was a leader who made
£14 / £6 Livestreamed
Henry V, victor at the Battle of Agincourt, is one of the most intriguing characters in history. A sometimes brutal warrior, he was a leader who made many mistakes, yet always seemed to triumph when it mattered. He saved a shattered country from economic ruin, put down rebellions and secured England’s borders. In diplomacy, he made England a serious player once more. Yet his conquests in France led to the calamity of the Wars of the Roses.
Britain’s bestselling medieval historian and TV broadcaster Dan Jones paints a thrilling and unmissable portrait of England’s greatest king in this fascinating new talk.
‘A tour de force’ – Peter Frankopan
sun15sep10:30 amGreat Gloucester BuildingsJanina Ramirez, Andrew Armstrong & Phil Moss
September 15, 2024 10:30 am(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed Gloucester’s iconic Cathedral and legendary Docks take centre stage when we think of Gloucester’s greatest buildings. But what about the glorious gems tucked away in hidden corners
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
Gloucester’s iconic Cathedral and legendary Docks take centre stage when we think of Gloucester’s greatest buildings. But what about the glorious gems tucked away in hidden corners or nestling under our streets?
Join us for the world premiere of Janina Ramirez’s short film for Historic England celebrating the buildings of Gloucester. Then watch as City Archaeologist Andrew Armstrong, much-loved local historian Phil Moss and Femina author Janina Ramirez lock horns to present their favourite unsung buildings in the city and argue about which is Gloucester’s best.
sun15sep12:15 pmDavid OlusogaHistory and the History Wars
September 15, 2024 12:15 pm(GMT+00:00)
£14 / £6 Livestreamed History is now front-page news, contested as never before. Statues have fallen, our beloved heritage organisations are under assault while the reputations of great men have been
£14 / £6 Livestreamed
History is now front-page news, contested as never before. Statues have fallen, our beloved heritage organisations are under assault while the reputations of great men have been called into question.
In this talk, leading historian, filmmaker and author of the acclaimed Black and British, Professor David Olusoga examines the causes of the ‘history wars’ and asks where they might lead us.
Introduced by Janina Ramirez.
sun15sep2:00 pmRoman Britain Gets Rowdy!Greg Jenner
September 15, 2024 2:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed Join Horrible Histories guru Greg Jenner, host of the chart-topping BBC podcast You’re Dead to Me, for a riotously fun journey through Roman Britain, from its brilliant
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
Join Horrible Histories guru Greg Jenner, host of the chart-topping BBC podcast You’re Dead to Me, for a riotously fun journey through Roman Britain, from its brilliant beginnings to its epic ending.
From legionaries to baths and gladiators to hypocausts, this whirlwind tour will cover everything you need to know about Roman Britain and show you what it would really have been like to live through hundreds of years of Roman history. And where better to join Greg Jenner than in the heart of Roman Glevum!
For adults and youngsters: suitable for all history-lovers from 9 years up.
sun15sep4:00 pmConstable’s The Hay WainWaldemar Januszczak, Janina Ramirez & Corinne Fowler
September 15, 2024 4:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed This year is the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary and as part of the celebrations Constable’s The Hay Wain has visited Bristol Museum & Art Gallery as the
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
This year is the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary and as part of the celebrations Constable’s The Hay Wain has visited Bristol Museum & Art Gallery as the centrepiece of its recent Truth to Nature exhibition.
Sunday Times Art Critic and broadcaster Waldemar Januszczak, art historian and Femina author Janina Ramirez and Professor of Colonialism & Heritage Corinne Fowler join Jo Durrant to explore the history of this icon of English landscape art and the myriad ways in which it has been copied, satirised and politicised since it was first painted in a Suffolk lane in 1821.
In association with Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.
sun15sep6:00 pmMannerism: Art’s Wildest MovementWaldemar Januszczak
September 15, 2024 6:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£12 / £6 Livestreamed Join Sunday Times Art Critic and acclaimed film-maker Waldemar Januszczak to discover the dark, weird, wild and sexy period of art between 1520 and 1590, squeezed tightly
£12 / £6 Livestreamed
Join Sunday Times Art Critic and acclaimed film-maker Waldemar Januszczak to discover the dark, weird, wild and sexy period of art between 1520 and 1590, squeezed tightly between the Renaissance and the Baroque.
Described as ‘the Renaissance going off the rails’, the crazy creativity of Guiseppe Arcimbolo, making faces out of fruit and seafood in Prague, Rosso Fiorentino at Fontainebleau and the unleashing of women artists onto the public stage reveals the extraordinary rebellion of the period against European norms.
Prepare for exhilarating journey into the chaos and creativity of mannerism with Waldemar Januszczak as your guide.
sun15sep7:30 pmStewart Lee in ConversationStewart Lee
September 15, 2024 7:30 pm(GMT+00:00)
£16 Comedians have always been a thorn in the side of the powerful, poking fun at the absurdities of their time. Director of the legendary Olivier-winning Jerry Springer The Opera,
£16
Comedians have always been a thorn in the side of the powerful, poking fun at the absurdities of their time.
Director of the legendary Olivier-winning Jerry Springer The Opera, stand-up comedian, writer, director and film-maker, Stewart Lee is one of the most groundbreaking figures in British comedy, with legions of devoted fans of his deadpan, surreal and hilarious musings.
He joins Janina Ramirez for a wide-ranging conversation as they take a sideways swipe at history, politics and the state of the nation.
mon16sep12:00 pmA Time Traveller’s Guide to the River SevernSimon Draper
September 16, 2024 12:00 pm(GMT+00:00)
£10 / £6 Livestreamed This year archaeologists found 7,000 year-old fish traps in the Severn estuary and to mark this discovery top Cambridge landscape archaeologist Simon Draper joins us to discuss
£10 / £6 Livestreamed
This year archaeologists found 7,000 year-old fish traps in the Severn estuary and to mark this discovery top Cambridge landscape archaeologist Simon Draper joins us to discuss the intriguing history of the River and the people who’ve lived and worked on it over the centuries.
What part did fishing and waterborne trades play in medieval and Elizabethan life? How did the estuary dwellers ingeniously deal with floods? And how exactly did Severn elvers and lamprey feature in the courts of medieval Kings?
The Time Traveller’s Guide to… is trademark used here by agreement with the trademark owner, Dr Ian Mortimer.
sat02nov6:30 pmThe Anglo-Saxons: Myth and Reality | The Winstone TalkMarc Morris
November 2, 2024 6:30 pm(GMT+00:00)
£12 Ever since the Norman Conquest, the English have looked back to the Anglo-Saxon era with nostalgia. The period between 450 and 1066, when England first came into being, has always
£12
Ever since the Norman Conquest, the English have looked back to the Anglo-Saxon era with nostalgia. The period between 450 and 1066, when England first came into being, has always been regarded as a golden age. Its Kings were elected and its church more pristine, women had better rights and people enjoyed greater freedom. But how much of this is true and how much wishful thinking?
Leading historian Marc Morris is the presenter of Channel 4’s Castles and his book The Anglo-Saxons is described by Dan Snow as ‘an absolute masterpiece’. He joins us to tell the real story of the beginnings of England.
