Recent Posts

Historical Fiction and Advocacy

A guest post by Wendy J. Dunn from Swinburne University SPEAKING THE SILENCES: WRITING, ADVOCACY AND ENABLING VOICE –An extract from Wendy’s paper for the refereed proceedings of the 16th annual AAWP conference, Ethical Imaginations: Writing World. The full paper can be found here: Biographical note: Wendy J. Dunn is obsessed with Tudor History. Her first published novel, the award-winning Dear Heart, How Like You This? is described as ‘one of the best novels ever written about … [Read More...]

Spartan Publishing

Lauren Mackay, historical researcher and consultant, has recently launched Spartan Publishing, an independent e-publishing house, which produces high quality historical e-reference books, historical literary e-fiction and alternative history. I know that we have many budding authors in our midst that may be interested in what Spartan Publishing is offering prospective authors. They offer a variety of comprehensive packages and services to assist in all stages of e-publishing, … [Read More...]

Boleyn Family Bible On Display

A rare 15th century bible once owned by Anne Boleyn’s uncle, Sir James Boleyn, will go on public display in Norwich next month. Inscribed on the pages of the bible in beautiful Latin script is, “liber Iacobi Boolene manens in Blickling”, translated as “James Boleyn’s book, dwelling in Blickling”. The Wycliffite bible will be displayed at the Norfolk Heritage Centre in Norwich during May and coincides with the Boleyn Festival Blickling – four days of all things Anne Boleyn! Clare Agate, … [Read More...]

Guest Post and Giveaway!

On this, the 3rd birthday of Robert Parry's wonderful novel Virgin and the Crab, I am delighted to share with you a guest article about the protagonist of Parry's novel - the fascinating John Dee. We are also giving away a copy of Virgin and the Crab to one lucky commenter, so be sure to leave a comment after Robert's post. You can read my review of this remarkable book here. Welcome Robert! Thank you Natalie, for helping me celebrate the 3rd Birthday of my novel ‘Virgin and the … [Read More...]

The Art of Manipulating History into Fiction

A guest post by Raven A. Nuckols, author of Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn. In October 2011, I published my first historical novel entitled “Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn.” I set out to write my novel with what I thought was an interesting idea for a story that might appeal to fans of Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. I also thought that there could be many such fans because in recent years the popularity … [Read More...]

An Ominous Sign

On 23 April 1536, the annual meeting of the Order of the Garter took place at Greenwich attended by the King and many Lords. It was expected that George Boleyn would be preferred but instead Henry chose Sir Nicholas Carew, ‘Anne’s known enemy and the man who had been mentoring Jane Seymour’ (Weir, pg. 88). The entry from Letters & Papers reads, On St. George's Day, 23 April 28 Hen. VIII., a chapter of the Order of the Garter was held at Greenwich, at which were present the King, the … [Read More...]

A Review of A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England

When I first interviewed Suzannah Lipscomb in early 2011, she was immersed in researching and writing A Visitor’s Companion to Tudor England. Whilst talking to Suzannah about her book, I discovered that we share something in common – a love for walking in the footsteps of the great historical figures of Tudor England. There is something magical about standing where Henry VIII or Anne Boleyn once stood, it is as though recorded in the walls of these ancient buildings are the very conversations … [Read More...]

Boleyn Home in Norwich

When you hear the words, ‘Boleyn family home’ it’s difficult not to immediately picture Hever Castle, a fairytale castle in the beautiful Kent countryside that has long been thought of as Anne Boleyn’s birthplace. The home is, as Eric Ives puts it, ‘a romantic shrine to Anne and her love affair with Henry VIII. Unfortunately, for romance and tradition, Anne was in fact born in Norfolk, almost certainly at the Boleyn home at Blickling, fifteen miles north of Norwich.’ (pg. 3) Ives’ … [Read More...]

Chapuys Bows to Queen Anne Boleyn

On April 18, 1536 Chapuys met with Henry VIII at Greenwich. On arrival, George Boleyn welcomed the ambassador and Cromwell presented Chapuys with a message from Henry, inviting him to visit Anne and kiss her hand. The ambassador could not bring himself to acquiesce and so begged Cromwell to excuse him, perhaps, for Chapuys’ sake, he should have accepted this more intimate encounter with Queen Anne because what was to follow was a much more public acknowledgement. Rochford conducted the … [Read More...]

Museum of The Order of St John

Discover a hidden jewel in the City of London Several friends have recommended a visit to the Museum of The Order of St John. Here is some background information: ‘The Museum tells the story of the Order of St John, from its origins in the 11th century to its role today with St John Ambulance and the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. The Hospitaller brothers both fought and nursed the sick, in the Holy Land and on their island fortresses of Rhodes and Malta.’ The Museum … [Read More...]

Sheffield Manor Lodge

A guest post about Sheffield Manor Lodge by On the Tudor Trail reader, Keeleigh Hodgson. Enjoy! To be absolutely honest I never thought I would write a piece about this location. It was simply by chance that I stumbled upon Manor Lodge. There was an exhibition about ‘Tudor Sugarcraft’ which piqued my interest and so I thought I would explore it at my own leisure, admire the recreations and, as usually happens when I visit Museums, feel saddened at the prospect of not being allowed to take … [Read More...]

The Queen Katherine Parr Quincentenary

I owe a debt of gratitude to Debbie Fenton for writing this post and for sharing some beautiful pictures of the new Queen Katherine Parr exhibition at Sudeley Castle. The exhibition is part of a series of exciting events planned to celebrate Katherine's life and mark the five hundred years since her birth. I must say that Sudeley is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful places I have ever visited and you'll notice that it is the Chapel of St. Mary at Sudeley that features prominently on … [Read More...]