Janina Ramirez – Legenda In Conversation

From the bestselling author of FEMINA comes Legenda — a bold reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been reshaped, misused, and mythologised for political ends.

In her groundbreaking new book, Professor Janina Ramirez uncovers how the identities of women have been repeatedly co‑opted to build national narratives. Figures such as Joan of Arc, Lady Godiva and Isabella of Castile may be household names, yet their stories have been distorted, weaponised, or stripped of complexity. Meanwhile, extraordinary women of the 18th and 19th centuries — revolutionaries, thinkers, and trailblazers — have been pushed to the margins, their achievements forgotten or dismissed.

Join Janina Ramirez as she interrogates the legends, challenges long‑held assumptions, and searches for the real women behind the myths. In this illuminating conversation, she explores how history is shaped, who gets to shape it, and why reclaiming these stories matters now more than ever.

Professor Janina Ramirez is a bestselling 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. Her work spans medieval history, art and literature, and she has written both fiction and non‑fiction for adults and young readers. She has presented documentaries worldwide for over 15 years, including Raiders of the Lost Past, The Private Lives of Kings, and Art Lovers Guide. She is also Lifelong President of Gloucester History Festival and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Universities of York and Gloucestershire, as well as City Lit.

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