Discover the remarkable lives of six Tudor women – from queens and celebrated scholars to healers, prophets and those society cast as outsiders. Oxford Professor Diane Purkiss, a specialist in witchcraft and the early modern period, illuminates the lived experiences of women navigating the opportunities, perils and rigid expectations of Tudor England.
The evening brings together pairs of contrasting stories: two Janes, both educated in Classical languages but leading divergent lives; two ruling sisters at odds over religion yet bound by isolation; and two unconventional women who defied convention – one a prophet bold enough to challenge Henry VIII, the other a butcher's wife remembered through tragedy. Through these interwoven narratives, Purkiss explores how gender shaped possibility and constraint across the social spectrum.
Doors open at 6:15pm, with the talk beginning at 6:30pm. Arrive early for good seating in this intimate candlelit setting.
