Ian Mortimer: past appearances

Past talks and lectures

Saturday 5 October 2024
Mortimer History Society
A talk for the Society's autumn symposium based on my book, Medieval Horizons.
Friday 13 September 2024
Devon Writers Group
A private talk for the group on the subject of old pubs.
Wednesday 11 September 2024
Quay Words, Exeter
A talk for Quay Words, the events programme of Literature Works, entitled 'The road to Exeter - from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century'. Held at Exeter's 17th-century Custom House on the Quay. Doors open 6pm.
Saturday 7 September 2024
Historical Novel Society
An after-dinner speech for the Society's conference gala dinner about old pubs and the lies told about them.
Saturday 7 September 2024
Historical Novel Society
A talk for the Society's annual conference held at Dartington Hall, Devon, entitled 'Free history - how to ride the waves of time'. The text is available here.
Thursday 29 August 2024
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
A talk based on my most recent book, Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter..
Thursday 29 August 2024
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
An A-Z talk on medieval England, based on my Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England..
Wednesday 29 May 2024
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
A talk about Medieval Horizons, held at the University of Exeter, for a class of students from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Thursday 2 May 2024
Woodbury History Society
A talk about Medieval Horizons, held in St Swithun's Church.
Saturday 13 April 2024
Gloucester History Weekend
An illustrated talk entitled Why the Middle Ages Matter, in the Dominican Friary.
Wednesday 31 January 2024
Chagford Local History Society
A talk entitled 'The History of England through the Windows of a Moretonhampstead House', to be held in Endecott House in Chagford. Open to non-members.
Wednesday 17 January 2024
Moretonhampstead History Society
'Medieval Moretonhampstead: from earliest times to 1600' - to be held in the Stable Bar of the Union Inn, Moreton. Open to non-members.
Wednesday 18 October 2023.
Society of Genealogists
An interview about medieval life with Else Churchill as the closing event of a one-day study day on medieval genealogy.
Tuesday 26 September 2023
East Prawle History Society
A talk in the parish church (Chivelstone) about Medieval Horizons.
Tuesday 1 August 2023
The Mortimer History Society, Tower of London
A speech entitled 'Who was Sir John Mortimer?' This was the second of my two contributions to an event held at the Tower of London to mark the 700th anniversary of the escape from the Tower of Roger Mortimer (1287-1330), and to launch the Society's new book, Dynasty of Destiny: The Mortimers of Wigmore in the Middle Ages, 1066–1485, to which I contributed a chapter on Sir John Mortimer (d. 1424).
Tuesday 1 August 2023
The Mortimer History Society, Tower of London
A speech entitled 'The achievements of Sir Roger Mortimer'. This was the first of my two contributions to an event held at the Tower of London to mark the 700th anniversary of the escape from the Tower of Roger Mortimer (1287-1330), and to launch the Society's new book, Dynasty of Destiny: The Mortimers of Wigmore in the Middle Ages, 1066–1485.
Tuesday 11 July 2023
The Harberton and Harbertonford History Society
A talk in St Andrew's Church, Harberton, about The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain.
Thursday 20 April 2023
Bovey Paradiso, Bovey Tracey
A fundraising talk in the Bovey Whisky Distillery (old Town Hall) across the road from the old King of Prussia pub - now Bovey Paradiso - entitled 'Medieval inns and alehouses - and modern myths'.
Saturday 25 February 2023
Southwark Cathedral
A short talk on Edward III as part of the the debate about who was Britain's greatest monarch. (Edward III won!)
Thursday 23 February 2023
Southwark Cathedral
A talk at Southwark Cathedral to launch my new book Medieval Horizons.
Wednesday 26 October 2022
The Museum of London
An A-Z of Regency Britain for this year's Chairman's Dinner.
Thursday 13 October 2022
The Barton St David History Club
A talk in memory of the late Peter Robinson, president of the club, on the ideas in my forthcoming book, Medieval Horizons, which is due for publication in Spring 2023.
Saturday 8 October 2022
In Search of Tywardreath
A talk in Tywardreath parish church about the ideas in my forthcoming book, Medieval Horizons, which is due for publication in Spring 2023.
Wednesday 21 September 2021
Moretonhampstead History Society
The chief rents of Moretonhampstead 1639-1840: how to use a difficult source for local history.
Friday 29 April 2022
Bearsted and Thurnham History Society
A talk about the ideas in my forthcoming book, Medieval Horizons.
Tuesday 17 March
Tiverton Civic Society
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain. In the Town Hall, Tiverton.
Thursday 18 November 2021
Topsham Museum
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain.
Wednesday 3 November 2021
Society of Genealogists
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain, via zoom.
Saturday 11 September 2021
Gloucester History Festival
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain. In the Dominican Friary.
Wednesday 8 September 2021
The Lustleigh Society
'The history of a Devon town house: Mearsdon, Moretonhampstead, from the thirteenth century to the present day'. An illustrated talk at the Village Hall, Lustleigh.
Thursday 2 September 2021
Friends of Devon's Archives / Devon History Society / Devon Rural Archive
A presentation at Shilstone entitled 'The chief rents of Moretonhampstead, 1639-1840: how to use a problematic source'. Imagine you had an annual directory listing everyone who owned or lived in every property in your town from the early seventeenth century to the nineteenth, how wonderful that would be! In borough rentals we have almost that – a list of all the freeholders, leaseholders or tenants paying the chief rent on a property – EXCEPT that none of the said rentals state exactly who was paying for each house. Sorting out who lived where is thus a problem of immense complexity. However, the potential rewards are so great that it is worth the undertaking. And lots of towns have these records, not just Moreton. This, therefore, is a talk about overcoming difficult archival research problems as much as it is about borough rentals.
Friday 21 May 2021
Bath Festival
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain. Due to Covid-19, this was my first in-person talk for eighteen months.
Thursday 29 April 2021
The Devonshire Association
'History and Writing History: an interview'. A talk for the literature section of the Association. Ian was the interviewer as well as the interviewee. Via zoom.
Thursday 18 March 2021
South West Heritage Trust
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain, via zoom.
Thursday 25 February 2021
Weald & Downland Museum, Singleton, Sussex
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain. Via zoom.
Wednesday 24 February 2021
Exeter Historic Buildings Trust
An interview and talk about my books, via zoom.
Thursday 12 November 2020
History Extra: an A to Z of Regency Britain
An online lecture to launch the new book, which was published today. It remains available to subscribers to BBC History Extra.
Tuesday 27 October 2020
Dan Snow's History Hit
A chat with Dan about aspects of the forthcoming book, 'Time Travel to Regency Britain with Ian Mortimer'.
Monday 12 October 2020
European Union Sustainability Network, Berlin

I was invited by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety to give a short speech for the annual meeting of the network in Berlin. Initially, I was scheduled to the speaker directly before Chancellor Angela Merkel, which was exciting.

Sadly, it had to take place virtually, and so was broadcast from my dining room. Also, to permit there to be 45 minutes of questions and comments rather than just 30, I was shifted to a session on the previous day, speaking after the Minister, Svenja Schulze. The text of my speech, plus some notes about my replies to some of the comments and replies, is available here.
Tuesday 22 September 2020
History Hit: The Great Fire of London
Podcast about the Great Fire of 1666 with Rob Weinberg. It may be downloaded from this site.
Friday 18 October 2019
Martin Randall Travel
Talk entitled 'Who was the rightful heir to the throne in 1460?' for the symposium on ''Medieval England: politics, power and culture' at the White Swan, Lavenham.
Thursday 17 October 2019
Martin Randall Travel
Talk entitled 'Medieval Horizons: The Cultural and Psychological Expansion of the Western World, 1000–1500' for the symposium on ''Medieval England: politics, power and culture' at the White Swan, Lavenham.
Monday 30 September 2019
PiXL History
Talk entitled 'Why I am still haunted by my history teacher'. Principally about the differences between (a) the actual past; (b) history as the study of the past; and the threats arising therefrom, and how history is more important than ever in upholding the basic values of society.
Wednesday 12 June 2019
Devon History Society
'The history of a Devon town house: Mearsdon, Moretonhampstead, from the thirteenth century to the present day'. An illustrated talk at the Rowe Hall, The Mint Conference Centre, South Street, Exeter.
Friday 7 June 2019
Greenway Literature Festival
An interview with Gary Calland at the first Greenway Literary Festival, at the home of Agatha Christie, Greenway, Devon, about writing historical fiction and, in particular, The Outcasts of Time.
Saturday 18 May 2019
Mortimer History Society
A talk on the genealogy of the twelfth-century Mortimer families of Wigmore, Attleborough, Richard's Castle, Bec and Wilsthorpe. A video of this talk can be viewed here, courtesy of the Society.
Saturday 11 May 2019
In Search of Tywardreath
A talk on everyday life in fourteenth-century England, at the chapel in Well Street, Tywardreath.
Tuesday 6 November 2018
Torquay Museum
An illustrated talk on Charlie Laycock's house, Moretonhampstead, 1207-2018.
Thursday 27 September 2018
Sampford Peverell Society
A final talk on the The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Thursday 20 September 2018
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
A talk on the The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain for the borough's 'Know Your Place' heritage festival. Held in the Old Town Hall.
Saturday 25 August 2018
Great Bidlake, Devon
A light-hearted talk to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the Bidlake family acquiring Great Bidlake, entitled 'A Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval Devon'.
Thursday 28 June 2018
The National Archives
A talk entitled 'Documentary Enlightenment: the death of Edward II and the principles of historical methodology', as part of the National Archives 'Reimagining Records' symposium for medievalists. In this I explained how the debate about the death of Edward II has come to act as a magnifiying glass on academic behaviour and methodological skills, and how arguments have been advanced in defiance of basic core priciples. And in explaining these, I showed how senior academics had abused all of them in the course of maintaining the traditional account of the death of Edward II.
Saturday 16 June 2018
The Devonshire Association
A talk to the Literature and Art Section on the theme of 'Writing history and historical fiction: how do we tell the truth about the past?'.
Wednesday 23 May 2018
Moretonhampstead History Society
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, in the church, in order to raise funds for the History Society's archives.
Saturday 19 May 2018
The Mortimer History Society
Two short talks on medieval religion: one on its structures and institutions and the other on the personal experience of religion in the Middle Ages.
Wednesday 25 April 2018
The Lustleigh Society
A talk on Restoration Britain.
Thursday 19 April 2018
The Reform Club
A repeat of my lecture, 'The Shakespeare Authorship Debate and Historical Responsibility'. The preface to this talk is available here.
Thursday 8 March 2018
Totnes Early Music Society and Totnes Museum Society
The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, at the Seven Stars Hotel, Totnes. Followed two days later by a musical demonstration with performances of texts and music by Restoration writers and composers.
Thursday 25 January 2018
Chagford Local History Society
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, at Endecott House.
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Moretonhampstead History Society
President's address, on the theme of 'Your Ancestors' Laundry' - being a look at how the laundry business changed from an exclusively female occupation in the early 1800s to a nationwide business dominated by men by the 1870s. The experience of my ancestors, the Mortimer family of Plymouth, who were dyers and fullers in the 1790s and by the 1880s owned and ran one of the biggest cleaning companies in the UK, show that this was not as straightforward a development as you might think. It involved a lot of advertising, heritage, lying about heritage, illegally borrowing coats of arms, guessing the future - and most of the crucial business decisions were made by a woman, Rachel Mortimer (1796-1860).
Saturday 25 November 2017
BBC History Magazine weekend, York
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, for the York event organised by BBC History Magazine.
Thursday 16 November 2017
West Dartmoor U3A, Tavistock
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Sunday 22 October 2017
Dorchester Literary Festival
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Friday 13 October 2017
Chagford Library
A talk on the value of the written word on the occasion of the official opening of the new library and archive facilities. (I even cut the ribbon!)
Saturday 7 October 2017
BBC History Magazine weekend, Winchester
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, for the Winchester event organised by BBC History Magazine.
Monday 25 September 2017
Appledore Book Festival
Talking about The Outcasts of Time and how life changed for people over the six centuries covered in the book, 1348-1942. Further details from the festival website.
Wednesday 20 September 2017
Moretonhampstead History Society
A discussion between myself and the historical novelist Michael Jecks on the theme of 'History and Historical Fiction: how can we tell the truth about the past?' Held in the Stable Bar of the Union Inn, Moretonhampstead.
Monday 11 September 2017
Gloucester Literary Festival
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Saturday 2 September 2017
Private event
A walking tour of Dartmoor.
Sunday 9 July 2017
Wimpole History Festival (Cambridge Literary festival/The National Trust)
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. Held at Wimpole Hall.
Thursday 1 June 2017
Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival
Talking about my two new books with Phil Rickman: The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain; and The Outcasts of Time. Details available from the festival website.
Monday 22 May 2017
Bow Local History Society
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Saturday 20 May 2017
Friends of Torquay Museum
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Monday 15 May 2017
Devon Heritage Centre
A short talk concluding the launch of the Manorial Documents Register for Devon.
Saturday 6 May 2017
Plymouth Local Studies Day
A talk on the new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain. Held at the Robbins Conference Centre, Gibbon Street.
Thursday 4 May 2017
Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Sussex
A talk on my new book, The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain.
Monday 3 April 2017
The Launch of The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain
This was part of an afternoon of three talks held under the auspices of the Friends of Devon's Archives (FoDA) at Devon Heritage Centre, Sowton, Exeter. It took the form of an illustrated A to Z of Restoration Britain.
Wednesday 11 January 2017
The Institute of Historical Research, London
A seminar with Prof. Jeremy Black, Taylor Downing and Prof. Lucy Riall in the series organised by Daniel Snowman at Senate House. Our theme was 'Lessons from the Past'.
Monday 28 November 2016
University of Exeter
My annual lecture to Exeter history students on 'the uses of the past'.
Tuesday 22 November 2016
Herefordshire Archives and Records Centre
A speech as part of the annual Archive and Records Association's event, 'Explore your archive'.
Monday 14 November 2016
Devon Heritage Centre
A short speech to volunteers at the archive.
Monday 7 November 2016
Devon Heritage Centre
A short speech as part of the ceremony to present the South West Heritage Trust with the 'Record-keeping Service of the Year' award. I nominated the Trust in my capacity as chairman of the Friends of Devon's Archives.
Saturday 15 October 2016
Friends of Devon's Archives
An illustrated talk entitled 'Your ancestors' dirty laundry' at the Plymouth Athenaeum as part of the autumn conference of the Friends of Devon's Archives. (My ancestors were the proprietors of Mortimer's Cleaning and Dyeing works, Plymouth, from its origins in the eighteenth century until they sold the company in 1932.)
9 September 2016
Introduction to the paintings of Ric Horner
I sponsored an exhibition in Moretonhampstead by the landscape painter, Ric Horner. As I own about twenty of his paintings, I gave a short introduction to his work at the private view, and talked about its place in the development of landscape art. It turns out that it was filmed: you can see the recording on this Youtube page. Sorry about the expletives near the start - they are a direct quotation.
20-22 July 2016
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval Music
This was a unique collaboration between me and the London-based ensemble The Artisans (multi-instrumentalists Emily and Hazel Askew, percussionist Louise Duggan, and lutenist Richard Mackenzie). The idea was that medieval music says much about the experience of being in the past - and, at the same time, the history of the period allows us to understand the background to the music. Thus we wove the two together in a musical performance of what it was like to live in the Middle Ages. There were three performances: Moretonhampstead Church (20 July), South Tawton Church House (21 July) and Glastonbury Abbey (22 July). The poster for the Devon events, held on 20 and 21 July, is here. A showreel using the recording made in Moretonhampstead Church and footage and stills from all three performances may be seen on this Youtube page.
Thursday 14 July 2016
The University of Southampton, Department of Psychology
Keynote lecture at the 8th Southampton Symposium of the Self and Identity, entitled 'The History of the Self, 1000-1600'. I identified points at which the ways in people's self-awareness, self-definition and individuality changed in the Middle Ages - from the development of Purgatory to the impact of the mirror and the development of the personal diary.
Sunday 3 April 2016
Canterbury History Weekend
'Medieval Horizons': a talk tackling the growing tendency to regard the Middle Ages as static, backward and ignorant, on the basis of a modern obsession with technology, which prevents people from appreciating how life changed profoundly over the years 1000-1600.
Monday 28 March 2016
Bow and District Historical Society
'Medieval Horizons'. In a candlelit church in the area. But fewer candles than usual due to a recent fire. Good thing I didn't need notes.
Wednesday 16 March 2016
University of Exeter
Lecture to undergraduates on 'The uses of history'.
Thursday 28 January 2016
Okehampton U3A
Talk entitled 'Medieval Horizons'.
Wedneday 20 January 2016
Moretonhampstead History Society
Talk on the book, Human Race: ten centuries of change on Earth, held in the parish church. This was where I first spoke on the theme in 2009, and as that event inspired the writing of the book, it seems fitting to hold the last talk on the subject in the place. Full circle.
Saturday 5 December 2015
'Moor Medieval', Dartmoor National Park Authority
What if there had been a medieval National Park Authority?
Thursday 19 November 2015
West Dartmoor U3A, Tavistock
Talk on the theme of Human Race: ten centuries of change on Earth.
Thursday 29 October 2015
Chagford History Society
Human Race: ten centuries of change on Earth.
Monday 19 October 2015
The Friends of Devon's Archives conference
A talk about how to trace the socio-economic history of a medieval community when you do not have any medieval manorial records. Held at the Guildhall, Exeter.
Friday 16 October 2015
UK National Park Authorities' conference
This year the Association of National Park Authorities' conference was held by my own NPA, Dartmoor. So I did a talk on 'A Time Traveller's Guide to National Parks'.
Thursday 15 October 2015
Teignbridge Decorative and Fine Art Society, Kingsteignton
Talk on The idea of change.
Monday 12 October 2015
Eastbourne College, Sussex
Human Race: ten centuries of change on Earth. Private event for past and present members of Eastbourne College.
Friday 2 October 2015
The International Tyndale Society annual conference, Oxford
A keynote address entitled 'The only writer in English history more influential than William Shakespeare'.
Saturday 1 August 2015
600th Anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt conference, University of Southampton
A special public lecture on 'The Meaning of War' to commemorate the anniversary of the battle. This is available to view on Youtube.
Saturday 27 June 2015
Sevenoaks Literature Celebration
Talking about Centuries of Change, in the Great Hall at Ightham Mote, on what would have been my father's eightieth birthday. A special event.
Tuesday 23 June 2015
Historic England
A talk to the West of England listing team of Historic England about Mearsdon, Moretonhampstead, from 1207-present.
Tuesday 23 June 2015
Historic England
A talk to the West of England listing team of Historic England about the development of Moretonhampstead and how to use head rents as a source for the history of property ownership and boundary changes.
Friday 19 June 2015
Sidmouth Literary Festival
Centuries of Change at Kennaway House.
Friday 12 June 2015
AsparaWriting Festival, Evesham
Talking on the theme of 'The Mortimers of Wigmore: twelve generations of violent revolt (and even more violent loyalty), 1075-1425'.
Thursday 21 May 2015
Aldworth Church, Berkshire
Aldworth Church was rebuilt seven hundred years ago, in 1315. I imagined three generations of a local family stopping there while a torrential thunderstorm broke outside: the grandfather tells his son and grandfather of all the changes he has seen in the fifty years of his memory - from politics and parliament to manorial record keeping and famine. Thirty years later the son and grandson return to talk about all the things that have happened since, such as fashion, architecture and the war with France. Finally, in 1365, the grandson comes back to reminisce and tell his own grandson of all the things that have happened in his lifetime. A celebration of 100 years of change.
Friday 15 May 2015
Fowey Festival of Words and Music, Cornwall
Talk on the theme of Centuries of Change. More details are on the festival website: foweyfestival.com
Thursday 23 April 2015
The Chapter House, Exeter Cathedral
This was the first public reading of my paper, 'The Shakespeare Authorship Debate and Historical Responsibility' in the 13th-century Chapter House of Exeter Cathedral. It was repeated in 2018 at the Reform Club, London.
Saturday 11 April 2015
Dartmoor National Park Authority
A talk entitled 'The changing medieval world - from the Vikings to the Scientific Revolution'. Audience numbers limited to twenty due to it being held at Higher Uppacott, the Authority's medieval longhouse. I also did a tour of the house as part of the talk and therefore spoke continuously from 10.30 until 13.05, maknig it the longest presentation without a break I've yet done.
Wednesday 8 April 2015
Devon Heritage Centre, Sowton, Exeter
A talk on Centuries of Change but with a slight twist. I'm calling it: 'Centuries of Change - or how to write the history of the last thousand years without leaving Devon'. The venue is what used to be called Devon Record Office, and is where the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service is based. Proceeds to the Devon Archives service - a most worthy cause.
Monday 23 March 2015
Oxford Literary Festival
Talking about the new book, Centuries of Change. Details on the festival website.
Monday 9 March 2015
University of Exeter
Talking to second year undergraduates on the theme of 'The Uses of History'.
Thursday 5 March 2015
Bath Literature Festival
Talking about the new book, Centuries of Change.
Saturday 28 February 2015
Dartmoor National Park Authority
A talk on the subject of 'Documentary sources for the history of communities in Eastern Dartmoor' as part of a one-day symposium on daily life on Dartmoor in the Middle Ages, entitled 'Longhouses and Hard Lives', which I coordinated.
Thursday 29 January 2015
Okehampton U3A
A talk about Centuries of Change at the Ockment centre, Okehampton.
Wednesday 21 January 2015
The Lustleigh Society
A talk about Centuries of Change.
Wednesday 14 January 2015
The Dartmoor Society
An illustrated presentation on the development of medieval Moretonhampstead at Mearsdon.
Monday 27 October 2014
Off the Shelf Festival of Words, Sheffield
A talk about my new book, Centuries of Change.
Saturday 25 October 2014
Tavistock Heritage Festival
A talk about my new book, Centuries of Change.
Friday 24 October 2014
Tavistock Heritage Festival
'History, folklore and historical fiction - comfortable bedfellows?' On-stage discussion with Michael Jecks.
Saturday 18 October 2014
Ilkley Literature Festival
A talk about my new book, Centuries of Change. A review of this talk by Sally Harrop appears on the Moonantlers blog.
Wednesday 8 October 2014
Cheltenham Literarature Festival
A talk about my new book, Centuries of Change.
Saturday 4 October 2014
Appledore Book Festival, North Devon
A talk about my new book, Centuries of Change.
Sunday 20 July 2014
Folk by the Oak
Introducing 'The Elizabethan Session' at the Folk by the Oak festival.
Monday 17 March 2014
University of Exeter
Talking about 'The Uses of the Past' to second-year undergraduates.
Friday 14 March 2014
Folk by the Oak
Folk by the Oak asked me to speak at their artists' retreat as part of their Elizabethan Sessions project. You can find reviews of the show in The Times, who described it as 'a stunning and unforgetable evening', as well as The Guardian, who reviewed the second concert a couple of days later, in London. Also folkwitness.co.uk, and London Folk Music, which called it 'a dazzling jewel in the crown of English folk music'.
Thursday 27 February 2014
Penguin Random House Sales Conference, Brighton
Short debate between Martin Amis and myself on the question 'Is humanity violent?' with Kirsty Lang in the chair.
Thursday 30 January 2014
Chagford History Society
The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Wednesday 22 January 2014
English Speaking Union, Exeter Branch
The idea of change.
Wednesday 15 January 2014
Moretonhampstead History Society
Presidential address: using manorial documents to trace the history of your house.
Wednesday 8 January 2014
Royal Shakespeare Company
A talk about Henry IV for the cast of the forthcoming production of Henry IV Part One.
Friday 25 October 2013
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter
I was invited to say a few words at the opening of the exhibition 'West Country to the World's End: the South West in the Tudor Age'. Talked about mirrors and the idea that the exhibition reflects the many new identities people saw when they looked in the glass mirror for the first time in 16th century, Details of the exhibition itself are at the museum's website.
Saturday 21 September 2013
The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, nr Chichester
'The Time Traveller's Guide to Fatal Illnesses, 1348-1798' for the Medicine and Mortality weekend at this unique and marvellous museum. A blogpost by C18thgirl describes what I went on about.
Wednesday 11 September 2013
St Andrew's Church, Moretonhampstead
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England to raise money for Moretonhampstead History Society's archive. I titled this particular talk, 'The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England - new, improved, with added diseases!'
Tuesday 14 May 2013
The National Archives
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. This can be downloaded freely as an mp3 file..
Saturday 11 May 2013
Mortimer History Society, Earl Mortimer College, Leominster
A talk on 'The Mortimers in the time of Richard II' for the Mortimer History Society's annual conference.
Saturday 13 April 2013
Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, Canterbury Cathedral
Talking about 'The Reputation and Legacy of Henry IV', on the 600th anniversary of his death, at a colloquium organised by the University of Kent at Canterbury.
Sunday 28 April 2013
Dillington House
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England in the wonderful environs of an Elizabethan architectural gem, Dillington House.
Thursday 14 March 2013
Thackeray Society, Reform Club
The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Tuesday 5 March 2013
University of Exeter
Talk to students about writing history for the public, part of the series of lectures entitled 'The Uses of the Past'.
Friday 22 February 2013
The American Library, Karlsruhe, Germany
An A-Z talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. Details about the American Library are available on the Library's own pages.
Saturday 24 November 2012
Off the Shelf, Sheffield
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Saturday 17 November 2012
Crediton Community Bookshop
A short talk on books as a civilising factor over the last thousand years at the launch of this new local bookselling initiative.
9-11 November 2012
Copenhagen Book Fair, Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
Two interviews with the Danish historical novelist Martin Jensen, conducted by the historian and cultural commentator for Weekendavisen, Bo Bjørnvig.
Thursday 11 October 2012
Rye Books, East Dulwich, London SE22
'The A to Z of Elizabethan England'.
29-30 September 2012
Historical Novel Society Conference, London
Chairing a session on 'The Lying Art of Historical Fiction' and speaking the next day on the theme of 'The Problems of visiting the past in fact and fiction'.
Tuesday 25 September 2012
Taunton Literary Festival
Appearance as James Forrester. Talking about fear and the senses in Elizabethan England.
Monday 24 September 2012
Bow and District Historical Society, Devon
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Friday 14 September 2012
Friends of Buckfastleigh Library, Devon
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Saturday 8 September 2012
Gloucester History Festival
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Wednesday 18 July 2012
Harrogate International Festival (Spiegeltent)
Appearance as James Forrester. Talking about fear and the senses in Elizabethan England.
Monday 9 July 2012
Ways with Words, Dartington
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Tuesday 3 July 2012
Devon Writers Group
Houndtor medieval village: imagining the medieval experience.
Saturday 30 June 2012
Chalke Valley History Festival
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Friday 29 June 2012
Research Centre for Creative Writing, Bath Spa University
Talking about creative non-fiction at a one-day symposium, 'Other voices, other times'
Thursday 14 June 2012
Oxford University Historical Society
'A-Z of Elizabethan England'
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Friends of The National Archives
Lecture entitled, 'Creative non-fiction: where does history go from here?'
Saturday 2 June 2012
Charles Causley Festival, Launceston
Talking about my work as both Dr Ian Mortimer and James Forrester, principally focusing on The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England but also saying how it informs the writing of my fiction.
Thursday 31 May 2012
Chagword Festival, Chagford, Devon
'A-Z of Elizabethan England' at the inaugural session of Chagword, the new literary festival in Chagford.
Wednesday 23 May 2012
The Lustleigh Society, Devon
'A-Z of Elizabethan England'.
Monday 14 May 2012
The Du Maurier Festival, Fowey, Cornwall
Appearance as James Forrester. Talking about my Clarenceux trilogy of novels, writing about experiencing life in Elizabethan England, and historical fiction in general.
Sunday 13 May 2012
The Du Maurier Festival, Fowey, Cornwall
'A-Z of Elizabethan England'.
Saturday 21 April 2012
The Time Traveller's Guide to the heart of the past...
A special all-afternoon fundraising event, featuring talks on medieval and Elizabethan England, held at Dartmoor National Park Authority's Grade 1 Listed longhouse, Higher Uppacott, on the edge of Dartmoor. In aid of maintaining the house. Click here for my original press release.
Thursday 19 April 2012
Waterstones, Reading
'A-Z of Elizabethan England'.
Wednesday 18 April 2012
Waterstones, Guildford
'A-Z of Elizabethan England'.
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Waterstones, Cirencester
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. Event with Dr Marc Morris.
Thursday 12 April 2012
Waterstones, Bath
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. Event with Dr Marc Morris.
Wednesday 4 April 2012
Taunton Castle, Somerset
A talk in the castle hosted by Brendon Books about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Thursday 29 March 2012
Waterstones, Tunbridge Wells
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Waterstones, Richmond upon Thames
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. Joint event with Dr Marc Morris, who was speaking about his new book, Conquest.
Monday 26 March 2012
Waterstones, Salisbury
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Thursday 22 March 2012
Exeter Central Library
A talk about The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. Hosted by Waterstones in the Music Room the library.
Saturday 10 March 2012
The Union Inn, Moretonhampstead, Devon
An evening of song and poetry, sharing the stage with Clive Pig (post-punk songwriter, performance poet, storyteller extraordinaire and all-round magician of the performed word). Poster here.
Thursday 8 March 2012
Waterstones, 203-6 Piccadilly, London
A talk to launch The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Saturday 14 January 2012
Winchelsea Archaeological Society, Sussex
Talk in Winchelsea Church entitled 'Edward II and Edward III: the nadir and zenith of medieval royalty'.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Library Lecture Theatre, University College Plymouth, Marjon
Two talks: one on using openings and endings to good effect in historical writing (a class to creative writing students) and another on the purposes of history, in fiction and creative non-fiction. See here for the poster.
Friday 18 November 2011
Institute of Historical Research, London
Panel discussion on the differences of academic history and historical fiction as part of the 'Novel Approaches' conference.
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Portsmouth Bookfest
Appearance as James Forrester. A sensory ride through Elizabethan England.
Thursday 27 October 2011
U3A, Totnes
Talk on 'Living Through History'.
Friday 14 October 2011
Friends of St Andrews Church, Moretonhampstead
Talk on the Church in Moreton.
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Appearance as James Forrester. A sensory ride through Elizabethan England.
Thursday 15 September 2011
University of Exeter & Wordquest
Appearance as a guest writer as part of the Imagine there's a Future project. My theme will be 'A short history of the future of Dartmoor'.
Saturday 23 July 2011
Crime Writers Association, Harrogate
Appearance as James Forrester. Talking about my first two novels at the CWA dinner.
Saturday 16 July 2011
Ways With Words, Dartington, Devon
'Reliving the Past'. When would you have liked to have lived in the past? It is a question we all have considered. Ian reflects on some of the biggest surprises of historical experience, drawing from his bestselling The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England and also his work-in-progress, The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Friday 15 July 2011
Watermill Book Club, Newbury, Berkshire
Appearance as James Forrester. Drawing partly on scenes in the novels and partly on my non-fiction work in progress, The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England.
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Dartmoor National Park Authority
Talk on historical literature and the landscape, explaining how Dartmoor is not just inspiring for its natural beauty but, as a historic landscape, acts as a real-world reference library for the historical writer.
Thursday 26 May 2011
Kingston Readers Festival
Appearance as James Forrester.
Saturday 21 May 2011
Mortimer History Society Conference, Ludlow
The Mortimers and the Royal Family, 1200-1600.
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Ugborough History Society, Ugborough Church, Devon
'Rewriting History'
Wednesday 9 March 2011
University of Nottingham
'Accessing the medieval' - a panel discussion and writing workshop
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Festival to celebrate the life and times of the surgeon Dr Richard Stucley (1730-1811), Chulmleigh
Panel discussion on life and medicine in the 18th century
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds
'Rewriting history: royal conspiracies in late medieval England' (Open Lecture Series).
Sat/Sun 6-7 November 2010
Writers at the Castle, Taunton
A Friday afternoon to Sunday morning weekend, for Martin Randall Travel. I attended sessions on the Saturday and Sunday and gave a talk on 'The Fake Death of Edward II'.
Friday 29 October 2010
Toppings Bookshop, Bath
'Medieval Intrigue: decoding royal conspiracies'.
Thursday 14 October 2010
Cheltenham Literary Festival
Talking about 'Rewriting History'.
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Appledore Book Festival
'Interviewing Myself: history and historical fiction'. Probably the world's first stand-up historiography event. James Forrester, historical novelist, interviews Ian Mortimer, historian, about the limits of history - and Ian Mortimer interviews James Forrester about the limits of historical fiction. Confrontational, excoriatingly critical - and likely to end up in blows. Except that both Ian and James are one person.
Friday 24 Sept 2010
Budleigh Salterton Literature Festival
'Rewriting History'.
Sunday 19 Sept 2010
Reading Festival of Crime Writing
'Digging up the Past: Historical Crime'. Appearing as James Forrester in a panel event with several successful crime-fiction writers.
Thursday 16 Sept 2010
Waterstones Bookshop, Exeter High Street Branch
A book signing and informal introduction to my non-fiction work (as ian Mortimer) and my fiction (as James Forrester).
Sunday 18 July 2010
Ways with Words, Dartington, Devon
'Rewriting History'.
Friday 16 July 2010
Ways with Words, Dartington, Devon
A speaker was unable to turn up at Dartington due to ill-health, so I stepped in to speak about Medieval political murders.
Sunday 6 June 2010
Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival
'Rewriting History' (not '1415' as in the programme).
Friday 5 March 2010
Words by the Water, Cumbria
'Rewriting History'.
Weds 20 January 2010
Moretonhampstead History Society
'Rewriting History'.
Saturday 24 October 2009
Mortimer History Society
Inaugural presidential address for the newly formed society: 'What did the medieval Mortimers do for us?'.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Appledore Books Festival, Appledore, North Devon
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England.
Saturday 19 September 2009
Richard III Society, Plymouth Branch
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Lympstone History Society
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England.
Saturday 11 July 2009
Ways with Words, Dartington
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England. A note appeared in a local paper - The Herald Express
Thursday 11 June 2009
St Andrews Church, Moretonhampstead, Devon
Centuries of Change: a talk to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese of Exeter, formerly the diocese of Crediton, in 909 A.D.
Wednesday 6 May 2009
Widecombe History Society, Church House, Widecombe, Devon
A talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England.
Tuesday 10 March 2009
University of Plymouth/Peninsula Arts in conjunction with the Historical Association
Public lecture entitled 'Sex and Death in the Fourteenth-Century Royal Family'.
Thursday 29 January 2009
Endecott House, The Square, Chagford
Talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England for the Chagford Local History Society.
Monday 17 November 2008
The Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton
Public talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England.
Wednesday 22 October 2008
Toppings Bookshop, Bath
Talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England.
Sunday 19 October 2008
Cheltenham Literary Festival
Discussion on the battle of Agincourt with Professor Richard Holmes and the historical novelist, Bernard Cornwell.
Saturday 27 September 2008
Lichfield Festival (Lichfield Literature Weekend)
Talk on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
Monday 14 July 2008
Ways with Words, Dartington, Devon
Talking about 'The Fears of Henry IV'. (See blog entry by Oxford Reader on this talk.)
Saturday 10 May 2008
The Richard III Society, Devon and Cornwall Branch
'The Deaths of Kings'
Wednesday 16 January 2008
Moretonhampstead History Society
'The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England' (Chairman's Address)
Saturday 13 October 2007
Ilkley Literary Festival
'King Henry IV'. (See blog entry by daemonwolf on this talk.)
Wednesday 10 October 2007
Cheltenham Literary Festival
'King Henry IV'. Referring back to this talk in 2008, the festival's Artistic Director Sarah Smyth said: 'Last year, the medieval historian Ian Mortimer talked about Henry IV at 10:00am on a Wednesday morning and had an audience of 400.'
Saturday 18 August 2007
Tiverton Literary Festival
'The Fears of Henry IV'
Wednesday 8 August 2007
Waterstones, Exeter
'The Fears of Henry IV'
Saturday 21 July 2007
Chagford Arts Festival
'The Fears of Henry IV'
Saturday 21 October 2006
Leintwardine History Group
'Edward III, the Mortimers, and the Leintwardine Chantry'
Monday 18 September 2006
University of Exeter, Department of History
'The Rural Medical Marketplace in Early Modern England'
Wednesday 19 April 2006
Moretonhampstead History Society
'Edward III, the Perfect King'
Wednesday 18 January 2006
Moretonhampstead History Society
'Medieval Moretonhampstead' (Chairman's Address)
Saturday 2 July 2005
Ludlow Literary Festival
'Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March'
Monday 25 April 2005
University of Oxford, Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine
'The Importance of Towns to the Seriously Ill and Dying in 17th-Century Kent'
Saturday 16 October 2004
Friends of Devon's Archives
'Census Records for 17th-Century Devon'
Friday 21 May 2004
The Royal Historical Society
'The Triumph of the Doctors' (The Alexander Prize Essay)
Tuesday 9 March 2004
Oundle Literary Festival
'The Age of Treason'
Monday 8 March 2004
The Devonshire Association
'The Mystery of the Death of Edward II'
Saturday 6 March 2004
Friends of Usk Castle
'The Rise of the Mortimers, 1086-1360'
Wednesday 12 November 2003
University of Reading, Department of History
'The Triumph of the Doctors'
Tuesday 14 October 2003
Cheltenham Literary Festival
'The Death of Edward II' and (with Dr Marc Morris) 'A Historical Tour of Berkeley Castle'
Tuesday 19 November 2002
Friends of Devon Archives
'Archives and the Internet'
Saturday 5 October 2002
The Henry Williamson Society
Talk to the Society at the Saunton Sands hotel, North Devon, entitled 'The Henry Williamson Archive at Exeter University Library'
Friday 4 October 2002
The Devon and Exeter Institution, Exeter
'The Poetry of History'
Monday 16 September 2002
Silverton History Society
'Literary Papers at Exeter University Library'
[exact date unrecorded] 2001
University of Exeter, School of English, and SW Arts
'The Papers of Daphne DuMaurier'
[exact date unrecorded] 2001
Friends of Devon Archives
'The Literary Collections of Exeter University Library'
Thursday 24 May 2001
University of Exeter, Postgraduate Conference
'The diocesan licensing of medical practitioners in early modern England: a case study of the diocese of Exeter 1660-1760'
Wednesday 17 January 2001
Moretonhampstead History Society
'Doctors, dirt and disease in early modern England'
Fri.-Sun. 8-10 September 2000
University of Exeter, Centre for Medical History
'Anthrax and the State 1895-1945'
Tuesday 14 March 2000
Friends of Devon's Archives
'Devon Manors', a talk at Devon Record Office, Castle Street, Exeter.
December 1999
Devon & Exeter Institution
'Devon Manors'
Friday 3 December 1999
University of Exeter, Centre for Medical History
'When does health matter? New approaches to the study of early twentieth century occupational health'
[exact date unrecorded] 1999
AsLib Local History Group seminar
'The World Wide Web for Archivists and Local History Librarians.'
Thursday 15 April 1999
Institute of Historical Research
Talk to postgraduate students on 'The National Register of Archives and on-line sources for historical research'
Monday 5 October 1998
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
Talk to students from UCL on 'The National Register of Archives and on-line sources for historical research'
Friday 4 September 1998
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
Talk to students from Colgate University on 'The National Register of Archives and on-line sources for historical research'
Thursday 23 April 1998
Institute of Historical Research
'The National Register of Archives and on-line sources for historical research'
Saturday 8 November 1997
Berkshire Family History Society
'Life and Death in Berkshire, 1590-1720: the evidence of the Berkshire Probate Accounts'
Thursday 9 October 1997
AsLib seminar, Buried Treasure
'Manuscript Sources for Art History.'
Tuesday 16 September 1997
The Society of Archivists, Annual Conference
'Wide Area Networks Unlocked'
Wednesday 23 July 1997
British Records Association
'Record Publishing on the Internet.' Paper given at the association's annual meeting for record editors.
Sunday 13 April 1997
The University of Reading, in conjunction with Berkshire Local History Society
'Living and dying in 17th century Berkshire.'
Tuesday 28 January 1997
The Association of Local History Tutors
'17th century Berkshire: the evidence of the probate accounts.'
Tuesday 19 November 1996
Birkbeck College, University of London
Lecture to staff and students on sources for medieval history
Thursday 18 January 1996
Institute of Historical Research
Lecture to staff and students on using The National Register of Archives
Thursday 30 November 1995
Berkshire Record Society AGM
'The Berkshire Probate Accounts 1583-1712'
Monday 9 October 1995
V&A and Royal College of Art
Lecture to students on finding the papers of UK artists.
Monday 5 December 1994
Berkshire Record Society AGM
'The Glebe Terriers of Berkshire, 1634'