‘“The Gentlewoman from Reedham”: Reencountering Margaret Paston, through her letters, in the 21st Century.’

Tuesday 24 October, 2pm

The Buttery, Wolfson College

Free event

OCLW Visiting Scholar Diane Watt joins us to discuss her upcoming imaginative biography of Margaret Paston.

Focusing on selected letters written by Margaret across her lifetime, from the years immediately following her marriage to those leading up to her death, each of the chapters in my book takes the events described as the starting point for a micro-biography—looking in depth at Margaret’s life at that moment-- and for a broader exploration of social and cultural history. I also include more autobiographical elements, as I reflect on some of the ways in which Margaret’s letters have affected me personally, as I have re-encountered them in the 21^st century.

Diane Watt is Professor of Medieval English Literature and Co-Director of SGS (the Sex, Gender and Sexualities Research Centre) at the University of Surrey. Her main research and teaching interests are in the areas of medieval literature, women's writing, and gender and sexuality.

Click here to register