Hello there! I’m currently studying for a PhD in Archaeology at Oxford, researching the role of women in the social and political developments of 6th- and 7th-century England and France. With a worldwide readership of over 5,000 PLUS featuring regularly in Substack’s top 100 fastest-growing history publications, I open up the world of early medieval England to all who are ready to learn more about this much-misunderstood time. Ready to dive in? Hit subscribe at the button below and if you’re serious about early medieval history consider joining our paid membership, where you’ll unlock deep dives based on my academic work plus our Medieval History Book Club. All annual paid memberships are 20% off for the month of September!
Our next group read will be… Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott
Yes, that’s right: for the autumn season we are diving into fiction. And it’s one of my absolute favourites for opening up that murky world between the end of Roman Britain and the start of the medieval era, those two centuries where it’s all a bit of a mystery…
‘An ancient tapestry of legend brilliantly rewoven’ (Francis Spufford)
You can read more about Dark Earth in my review HERE, and if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, here’s what the blurb has to say:
‘YOU KNOW ARTHUR AND MERLIN. MEET ISLA AND BLUE.
AD 500. An island in the Thames. Isla has a secret: she has learned to make swords at a time when even entering a forge is forbidden to women. Her sister, Blue, has a secret, too: at low tide on the night of each new moon, she visits the bones of the mud woman, drowned for not holding her tongue. When Isla’s secret is discovered, there is nowhere for the sisters to hide, except across the water in the walled ghost city, Londinium. But trouble pursues them even to this haunted place…’
This fictional story springs from the chance find of an Anglo-Saxon1 style brooch in the layer of ‘dark earth’ that sits archaeologically atop the ruined Roman city of Londinium (London). Based on what we thought we knew about this period, that brooch shouldn’t be there: the city was abandoned, feared by fifth- and early sixth-century inhabitants of the surrounding area.
But someone must have walked its streets at this time in order to lose the brooch.
Rebecca Stott masterfully weaves a story around this find, evoking the mystical, semi-mythological world of fifth-century Britain to explain its loss. It’s a little spooky, so perfect for the autumn season (though rest assured, I am a complete child when it comes to scary things so we’re not going anywhere near thriller here).
‘Evocative and richly mythic’ (Lucy Holland)
With this second group read will come a few changes to the setup.
I learnt so much from our first group read, of Dark Queens by Shelley Puhak, and I’m grateful for those who stuck by me as I muddled my way through my first ever book club.
Here’s what will be different this time:
We will have a schedule. Wow, did I find it hard to send weekly chat prompts when we were all reading at different speeds! I appreciated the flexibility for those who joined late, but it made it too challenging for me to discuss weekly with you (something I really) wanted to do. You can find the full schedule at the end of this post, and I’ll send reminders each month.
We will have a standard format. Monthly posts (with an optional summary video, themed essay, discussion prompts, and ‘reader reflections’ section), weekly chat threads, and an ‘end of read’ Substack Live Call.
‘Superb. Radically new and beautiful’ (The Observer)
Ready to join us?
Behind the paywall, I’ll be sharing the reading schedule so that those who want to join us can get started on sourcing a copy and reading, ahead of the first post on Saturday 4th October. Remember, all annual paid subscriptions are 20% off for the month of September, so do take this opportunity to upgrade at a reduced price!
