Blog Archives - Suzannah Lipscomb

Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, and the Ashbourne Charter of 1585

September 23, 2017September 23, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

On 17 July 1585, the people of Ashbourne in Derbyshire were granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth I for the founding of a Free Grammar School. The Queen, via Sir Francis Walsingham, had been petitioned two years earlier for the founding of a school, noting that ‘for wante of…

Moving on up

August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

I'm delighted to announce some big and exciting news. As from 1 September 2017, I will join the University of Roehampton as a Reader in Early Modern History. For those unfamiliar with the British system, there are four rungs of the academic ladder in the UK - Lecturer, Senior Lecturer,…

University of London: Senate House Keynote Address

August 27, 2017August 28, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

On 26th August I gave the Keynote Address on the Senate House Library's four key themes for their latest exhibition entitled Reformation - Shattered World, New Beginnings. Below is a short film detailing some of themes I discussed.

Public History

June 21, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

I was kindly invited to give the keynote lecture at the University of Reading's recent Public History day and, afterwards, I discussed authenticity, heritage, and the potential tensions with academia, with Prof. Kate Williams: https://youtu.be/EgfK6Myn3m8

The Great Fire: Behind the Scenes

May 29, 2017May 30, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

The Great Fire - a three-part series - airs this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8pm on Channel Five. I'm really proud of it, and was delighted to work with Rob Bell and (again) with Dan Jones. Do tune in!

Jaipur Literature Festival

February 14, 2017May 30, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

It was such a delight to attend and speak at the Jaipur Literature Festival, JLF, in January 2017. It is a joyous tumult of people, ideas, and music. I learnt so much at the sessions, and I laughed so much at the parties. For those who don't know JLF, it is…

Insert Name Here

January 16, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

... is on tonight, at 10pm on BBC Two. There's something about MARY...

History Masterclass

December 16, 2016January 1, 2017 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Historian Sam Willis and I have just set up a new little venture, called History Masterclass. The idea behind it is our desire to offer the public an opportunity to engage with history in a way that isn't just didactic, but is interactive. Rather than just been spoken at in…

Winchester History Weekend

October 9, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

I had lots of fun at BBC History Magazine's History Weekend in Winchester. I was talking about Leadership Lessons from the Tudors to a great audience, and took a lot of pleasure in meeting people afterwards to sign books and chat. Thank you to all who took the time to…

A Case of Double Standards

September 26, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Keith Thomas's article about double standards in the sixteenth century unfortunately applies today to the historical profession itself. In my latest column for History Today, I examine how female historians are still treated unfairly both inside and outside the academy, and argue that things must change.

Great Fire of London

September 3, 2016September 3, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Have you seen the 120-metre model of London's seventeenth-century skyline that's on the Thames? This gorgeous piece of art is going to be burnt tomorrow night to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. If you can't be in London to watch it go up in smoke,…

Henry VIII: Making of a Tyrant – week-long tour

September 1, 2016September 2, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Want to spend a week with me learning about Henry VIII? Well, in September 2017, you can! I should be delighted if you'd join me on this week-long tour, which I've devised, in association with Historical Trips, to tell the story of Henry VIII: Making of a Tyrant through the surviving…

After five years

September 1, 2016September 1, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Today I step down from being Head of the Faculty of History at New College of the Humanities (NCH), having been in the role for five years, since September 2011. As Head of Faculty and a member of the Academic Board, I was jointly responsible for the academic governance of NCH, and, as…

Breaking news: new history series on Elizabeth I

August 26, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Here's our breaking news, just announced by Channel Five: Brand new history series looks at the era of Elizabeth I Building on the success of Henry VIII and His Six Wives, Oxford Film and TV will produce a 3 x 60” docu-drama focussing on Queen Elizabeth I. The epic story…

Ask us a question

August 10, 2016August 10, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Here's a throwback to me and Dan Jones answering questions from our Twitter followers about Henry VIII's wives, in advance of our series of April 2016. In total, the 12 films include some decent historical intelligence and some moments of comedy gold (well, we made ourselves laugh, anyway). https://vimeo.com/162935490

In Praise of the Go-Between

August 6, 2016August 6, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

In my latest column for History Today, ponder my recent pursuit of Huguenot women in French archives and the summer's literary festivals, I wrote about the difficulty of connecting up the archives with the final finished product of the historian, and contend that 'those who think of history as an easily accessible…

The King is Dead: US publication

July 27, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

I've just got the happy news that my latest book, The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament, will be published in the United States by Pegasus Books on December, 16, 2016. And, yes, that does seem to be just in time for Christmas, doesn't it? Nicely done, folks. If…

The Argumentation Sessions v.1

July 19, 2016July 20, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

What's the collective noun for a group of historians? An argumentation. I kid you not. So, when Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary-Ann Ochota, and I gathered last week in a studio in central London, an argumentation formed, and stormed through the topics of history on TV, technology, and the future of the…

Literature and Faith in Early Modern England

July 11, 2016July 20, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

Tomorrow in Oxford, there's an academic conference in honour of my undergraduate tutor and good friend - the esteemed Tudor historian - Dr Susan Brigden. She won the Wolfson Prize for her most recent book, a glorious biography of poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, called Thomas Wyatt: The Heart's Forest. Here's the programme for tomorrow.…

Pointless

July 10, 2016July 20, 2016 by Suzannah Lipscomb

It turns out that there is something more terrifying than Finals. It's going on Pointless with Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman. See how I fared in the autumn of 2016!

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