"A marvellous idea, quite brilliantly realised"
Dominic Sandbrook, The Times
“Clarke traces 1,300 years of British history through verse. Each chapter offers richly detailed context and an astute close reading. Discerning choices and incisive analyses... A fresh perspective on the past”
Kirkus starred review
A Times Book of the Year
A BBC History Extra History Book of the Year
A Times Book of the Week
A Financial Times Book of the Year
A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
UK hardback (September 2025)
Penguin Allen Lane
US hardback (August 2026)
Pegasus Books
UK paperback (September 2026)
Penguin Allen Lane
"Catherine Clarke traces centuries of English thought and poetry, from the time of Beowulf to the protests written in the wake of Brexit. She weaves together the personal and the public with stories of the Danelaw, French nobles, Yorkshire miners, and the heart-rending plight of the 16th-century Protestant martyr Anne Askew. An excellent, all-encompassing read."
The Idler
About Me
I'm a historian and writer with a passion for sharing stories. As an academic, I'm a Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, and I also hold a Visiting Professorship in English Literature at the University of Southampton.
Originally a specialist in the Middle Ages, I now work across periods of history and literature. I've published on topics from medieval towns and cities to pilgrimage, from the earliest English poetry to underground legends, and from AI to the cultural history of mud. My research takes me to all kinds of fascinating and unexpected places, from walking in the Welsh Marches, to exploring devotional practices in Ethiopia, to crawling through the Bronze Age mines deep under Cheshire's Alderley Edge.
I was a judge for the 2026 Conversation Prize, with Faber and Curtis Brown. I have extensive experience of speaking at events and festivals (as an author and as an interviewer), public lectures, and broadcast media (radio and television).
'Catherine, you are a fabulous interviewer and chair and thank you so much. It’s a rare skill and you have it in spades.'
(Rose George, author and journalist,
Stratford Literary Festival, 2026)
I am represented by Gordon Wise and Elliot Prior at Curtis Brown.
Events
Upcoming events (more soon):
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Saturday 3 October 2026, 11am: Teasel & Skylark Books, Dorchester
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Thursday 22 April 2027: 'Living through 1066: English Experiences of Conquest', Arundells, Salisbury (details soon)
Catch up...
Catch up here with selected recent event and media recordings.
BBC Radio 4, 22 September 2025: Start the Week, Contains Strong Language Festival, Bradford. Listen on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio 4: 22 -26 September 2025: Book of the Week - A History of England in 25 Poems (not currently available)
BBC Radio 6 Music, 26 October 2025: Cerys Matthews, Slow Sunday: Margaretha Van Dam & Catherine Clarke – Curds, Culture & Verse (not currently available, but listen to a clip as a 'Best of 2025' pick on 4 January 2026)
History Extra Podcast, 6 March 2026: A Poetic History of England, in conversation with Lauren Good. Listen online.
Meeting faith in poetry: empathy, inspiration and challenge, College of St George, Windsor Castle, 10 March 2026. Watch online.
'Commonplace' podcast with Katie Marshall, March 2026. Watch / listen online.
Not Just the Tudors Podcast with Suzannah Lipscomb, 4 December 2025: 'How Poets Spoke Truth to Power'. Listen online.
BBC Countryfile Magazine 'Plodcast', 28 October 2025: Discover the history of England in 25 poems - with Catherine Clarke. Listen online.
'Can Popular History Be Radical? Historical research and writing for the public' (Historical Research Lecture, 2025), 4 November 2025. Watch online.
Doing History with Poetry: A Conversation with Catherine Clarke and Hannah Lowe (Creighton Lecture 2025), 9 September 2025
Standard Issue Podcast, 10 October 2025: The Rhyme and Reason of History. Listen online.
Beach Hut
If you follow me on social media, you'll know my favourite place to write - whenever I can manage it - is my beach hut, close to my home in Southbourne, Dorset. I love sharing pictures of the sea through changing weather and seasons. You'll find some more photos in the Gallery below.
Projects
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At the Institute of Historical Research, I'm Director of the Centre for the History of People, Place and Community and also Director of the Victoria County History of England - a project founded in 1899 to write the history of every place in England from the earliest times to the present day. We're still going strong!
My work includes major public-facing heritage projects, grounded in research, including initiatives in Chester and Swansea. I devised and led creation of the St Thomas Way - a new heritage route from Swansea to Hereford, based on the real medieval pilgrimage of a hanged man who came back from the dead...
My work often explores creative approaches, both in my own practice and in collaboration with others. Recent short creative pieces include a reflection on a tragedy in my family history and a VCH ghost story.
(Pictured: 'Hryre' by Nayan Kulkarni, at St John's Ruins, Chester, from a collaborative project.)
I enjoy communicating with wide audiences and give regular public talks and guest lectures. My media work includes BBC Radio, Channel 4, and writing for The Conversation.
