I have a comprehensive list of talks available, based on my books, which can be tweaked to suit audiences of all ages and regions.
Women of the Norman Conquest
Women of the Anarchy
Medieval Women of the Midlands
Tudor Women of the Midlands
A History of the Warenne Earls of Surrey
Ladies of Magna Carta
Scotland’s Medieval Queens
Nicholaa de la Haye, Lincoln’s Forgotten Heroine
Heroines of the Medieval World
Heroines of the Tudor World
The English Medieval Princess: Marriage and Diplomacy
The Family and Life of Katherine Swynford
(I think that’s all of them)
My talks can be tailored to the particular interests and locations of individual groups.
If you would like to engage me for a history talk – including history groups, festivals, schools, etc – simply fill out the contact form and we can work out the details.
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Forthcoming Events:
Katherine Swynford Study Day
I am so excited!
I will be appearing at the Katherine Swynford Study Day with a talk entitled ‘Mother and Daughter: the stories of Katherine Swynford and Joan Beaufort’.
And the other speaker is Helen Castor! Helen will be speaking of Henry IV.
Here’s the details:
THE KATHERINE SWYNFORD SOCIETY STUDY DAY – SATURDAY 9TH MAY 2026
We are very pleased to announce the return of the Annual Society Study Day following the absence in 2025 due to surgery and illness of all the committee members.
This Study Day will take place in The Assembly Rooms, Bailgate, Lincoln, LN1 9.30am open for registration close at 4pm.
2 speakers; a guided walk around the Cathedral Close included in the fee OR the choice of visiting the Cathedral however admission would not be included in the fee. We attempted to get a group admission for just the tomb with our own guide but informed that is not available therefore we would have to charge for this admission for everyone to the Cathedral on top of the fee.
Plenty of time for questions and discussions.
Light refreshments…and lunch in The Assembly Rooms Included in the fee!
Members £35 Non Members £45
This study day will be open to members only until February 28th 2026 then opened to the public if there are spaces left. The full agenda will be emailed by Karyn Agrali to all in February.
*Memberships renewal date February 2026.*
Payment details:
BACS from a UK bank account
The Katherine Swynford Society Sort code 30-99-50 A/c No 23246468 (preferred method)
UK cheque – made payable to The Katherine Swynford Society and sent to
Karyn Agrali, 13 Cotherstone, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 9E
Paypal to the Society account – katherine1403@googlemail.com
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A Talk about John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford
Saturday 13 June 2026, I will be speaking at St Peter and St Paul’s Church at Old Bolingbroke – right next door to the castle – about Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt.
“Whether you’re a history buff or just curious, this talk is sure to entertain and enlighten. Don’t miss out on this chance to explore a unique chapter of history up close!”
Step into the dramatic world of Tudor England with this fascinating talk at Grantham Museum
Lincolnshire’s Tudor Heroines
Saturday 18th July
2:00pm
Grantham Museum
Join historian and bestselling author Sharon Bennett Connolly as she brings to life the stories of four remarkable women with Lincolnshire connections: Katherine Willoughby, Bessie Blount, Anne Askew and Katherine Parr.
Discover how these extraordinary figures navigated power, religion and the royal court during one of the most turbulent periods in English history.
Tickets:
£8 general admission | £5 Friends of the Museum (includes tea & coffee)
Perfect for anyone interested in women’s history, Tudor England, or local heritage—don’t miss it!
The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye
Hosted by the Friends of Gainsborough Old Hall, I will be presenting a talk on Lincolnshire’s greatest heroine, Nicholaa de la Haye, constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right.
Date: 1 September 2026
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £4, including refreshments. No booking required, just pay on the door.
Venue: Gainsborough House, Parnell Street , Gainsborough (opposite the Old Hall)
Further talks
I also have a handful of other talks lined up for 2026 and 2027, including:
Katherine Swynford and Joan Beaufort, Winthorpe WI, on Wednesday 9 September, 7.30pm
Women of the Anarchy, Retford Historical Society, on Wednesday 10 February 2027, 7pm
Podcast:
Have a listen to theA Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Ian Mortimer, Bernard Cornwell, Elizabeth Chadwick and Scott Mariani, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
Historical Writers Forum will continue its programme of Zoom talks in 2024. You can find what we’ve done so far on our YouTube Channel.
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Past Events
Friday 28th May 2020: I presented the David hey Memorial Lecture as part of Doncaster Heritage Festival, held virtually due to the COVID crisis. Entitled Warenne: The Earls of Surrey and Conisbrough Castle, the lecture is still available to watch on YouTube.
Sunday 15th July 2018: Historical Panel Event with Elizabeth Chadwick at Newark Town Hall as part of the 2018Newark Book Festival.
With Nick Quantrill as chair, Elizabeth and I talked about our books and love of history. We also discussed our different approaches to history, fact and fiction and our research techniques, followed by a Q&A session and a book signing.
On Saturday, 14th October 2017, Conisbrough Castle was the venue for the book launch forHeroines of the Medieval World. In the glorious sunshine, the Castle looked spectacular, the ideal setting for a history talk.
I grew up just 5 miles from Conisbrough Castle and so, as a child, every summer holiday included a picnic at the castle and a climb to the top of the keep. As a student I volunteered at the castle, helping out at events and giving guided tours to school groups. In those days, the castle was just a shell, with green slime on the walls, but now it has floors inside, a roof to protect it from the elements and visual displays throughout. The Visitor Centre has a small museum with a cartoon strip telling the castle’s story and interactive displays for the kids. Conisbrough Castle’s only claim to fame seemed to be its link to Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, in which it played the part of a Saxon stronghold.
However, Conisbrough had been very much a Norman stronghold since the Conquest, given as a prize to one of William the Conquerors’ most loyal followers, William de Warenne, first earl of Warenne and Surrey. My talk took place on the 951st anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, the day the Castle changed hands. On the morning of the battle, it belonged to Harold II, but by the end of the day Harold had lost the kingdom and his life and Conisbrough was a prize of war.
The talk was aimed at demonstrating the many links that Conisbrough Castle has to the major events in English medieval history, from the Norman Conquest, to the disastrous reign of Edward II and the civil war which became known as the Wars of the Roses. Conisbrough Castle and its former residents have a rich history and it was a pleasure to bring just a few moments of it to life. Attended by over 50 people, the audience was made up of friends, family, readers of my book and blog – historytheinterestingbits.com – and visitors who had called at the Castle because it was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. And they were aged from 3 to 73!
Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest explores the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. It will look at the world they lived in, and how their lives and marriages were affected by political necessity and the events of the time. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages will also examine how these girls, who were often political pawns, were able to control their own lives and fates. Whilst they were expected to obey their parents in their marriage choices, several princesses were able to exert their own influence on these choices, with some outright refusing the husbands offered to them.
Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking.
Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is now available for pre-order from Pen & Sword and Amazon.
Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:
Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody and Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes. Available now fromAmazon and Pen and Sword Books. Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK.Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
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Don’t forget!Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
Saturday 18th July
2:00pm
Grantham Museum
History... the interesting bits! 