The Univ Shakespeare Society presents

Catherine Clarke, author of A History of England in 25 Poems, in conversation with Laura Varnam

Wednesday 4 February, 5.15pm

10 Merton Street Lecture Theatre.

Catherine Clarke, Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, Visiting Professor in English Literature at the University of Southampton, and former Univ English tutor, will be in conversation with Laura Varnam about her 2025 book A History of England in 25 Poems (Penguin).

Catherine’s book tells the history of England in a new way, glimpsed through twenty-five remarkable poems written down between the eighth century and today, which connect us directly with the nation’s past, and the experiences, emotions, and imaginations of those who lived it. The poems Catherine explores take us onto battlefields, inside royal courts, down coal mines and below stairs in great houses. Their creators, witnesses to great events from the Great Fire of London to the Miners’ Strike, range from the famous to the forgotten, yet each invites us into an immersive encounter with their own time.

In this conversation, Catherine and Laura will discuss texts as time travel, creative approaches to writing history, and why the radical empathy of poetry is more important than ever in the modern world.

The event will be followed by drinks and nibbles in the lobby of 10 Merton Street.

All members of the College welcome. No registration is required.

Please note that audio, photographs and video footage may be taken throughout our events. These may be used by the College for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website and on social media, or in any third-party publication. Please contact the event organiser if you have any concerns or if you wish to be exempted from this activity.