Janina Ramirez - 'Legenda' In Conversation

From the bestselling author of FEMINA, a brilliant reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been exploited over centuries for political, nation-building ends.

In LEGENDA, historian Professor Janina Ramirez peels back the layers of time to reveal how the identities of women have been co-opted by those intent on crafting national identities.

Their names are well-known, and summaries of their achievements have been recited in classrooms for decades, but medieval women like Joan of Arc, Lady Godiva and Isabella of Castile have been misrepresented, their stories twisted and weaponised.

Meanwhile, ground-breaking 18th and 19th-century women who blazed a trail through revolutionary Europe have been forgotten, their legacies too easily dismissed or ignored.

Questioning established narratives and searching for the real women behind the legends, join Janina Ramirez in conversation as she interrogates what defines a nation and who gets to build it, shining a light on how history is so often hijacked to serve the ideological and political interests of the present.

Professor Janina Ramirez is a best-selling author, presenter, lecturer and researcher. She is Director of Studies for History of Art at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, and Visiting Professor in Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln. She has published widely on medieval history, art and literature, has written both fiction and non-fiction for adults and younger readers, and has taught and researched across a broad chronological sweep, covering everything from the sculptures of antiquity to post-modern architecture.

She has also written and presented documentaries across the world for over 15 years, including ‘Raiders of the Lost Past,’ ‘The Private Lives of Kings,’ and ‘Art Lovers Guide’. She is Lifelong President of Gloucester History Festival, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Royal Society of Arts, Universities of York and Gloucestershire and City Lit.

This event will feature an interview, audience Q&A and book signing.

Legenda is published on 6 Nov 2025 by WH Allen.