Talking Tudors

Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Jane Bitomsky about her debut historical mystery, 'Death by Misadventure', and her PhD research into pregnancy and crime in early modern England.

They discuss the real-life coroner John Derrick, researching Bramley in the 1580s, sources and surprises from the archives (from medicinal mouldy bread to colourful euphemisms), and the challenges of writing accurate yet readable historical fiction.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR BITOMSKY https://www.janebitomskybooks.com/about

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Historian and novelist Sarah Dunant joins Natalie Grueninger to explore the life and legacy of Isabella d'Este. Among other things, they discuss her upbringing in Ferrara, marriage into Mantua, patronage of the arts, signature fashion statements, and the extraordinary archive of over 33,000 letters that reveal her voice and political skill.

They also discuss Dunant's latest novel 'The Marquesa'. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH DUNANT

https://www.sarahdunant.com

TAKEAWAYS

https://www.isabelladestearchive.org/

Explore the work of Andrea Mantegna, court artist to the Gonzaga family in Mantua.

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In this episode Natalie Grueninger interviews Susan Millard, rare books curator at the University of Melbourne, about the library’s recent acquisition of a 1494 edition of the Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches).

They explore the book’s author Heinrich Kramer, its printing by Anton Koberger, its role in witch trials and misogyny, the physical provenance and condition of the volume, and how it will be used for teaching and research.

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Learn more about the library's collection:

https://library.unimelb.edu.au/asc

 

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Harry Spillane about the life, exile, and execution of William Tyndale, focusing on his groundbreaking translation of the New Testament and the challenges he faced from church and state.

The episode covers Tyndale's translation methods, the printing and smuggling of English Bibles, his clashes with figures like Thomas More and Henry VIII, and his lasting influence on English language and later Bible editions.

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Learn more about Dr Spillane

https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/people/dr-harry-spillane

TAKEAWAYS

https://tyndale.org/

https://datb.cerl.org/estc/

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Dr Megan J. Hall joins Talking Tudors to explore women's literacy and education in medieval England, tracing how reading and writing shifted from church-centred training to household and aristocratic learning between 1100–1300 and beyond.

They discuss educational settings and curricula for girls and boys, the role of saints and literary models, and how modern research reshapes our assumptions about women's intellectual contributions.

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COULD MEDIEVAL WOMEN READ? https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/2021/04/14/could-medieval-women-read/

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