NBN Book of the Day Catherine Clarke, "A History of England in 25 Poems" (Penguin, 2025)
Jan 17, 2026
Catherine Clarke, a renowned historian and Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, invites listeners into England's rich past through the lens of twenty-five evocative poems. She shares insights on the impact of poetry in shaping national identity and history. The discussion spans diverse topics, like the lesser-known perspectives in famous events like 1066, the hidden lives of servants in grand country houses, and even the playful moments captured in medieval manuscripts. Catherine's passion illuminates how each poem serves as both a portal to the past and a critique of contemporary issues.
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Agincourt's Hidden Histories
- The Agincourt Carol's triumphalism masks other stories like the Welsh longbowmen's role and precarious English power.
- Clarke uses the carol to reveal embedded political contexts and competing regional perspectives.
A Servant Poet Upside Down Country Houses
- Mary Leeper, a young servant poet, rewrites the country-house poem from below stairs in Crumble Hall.
- She mixes epic diction with kitchen tasks to expose hidden domestic labour and queer the genteel pastoral genre.
Medieval Monasteries Weren't Always Solemn
- Medieval monastic culture contained bawdy songs and comic marginalia alongside devotional texts.
- Clarke argues this contrast reveals a richer, more bodily medieval religious life than modern solemn stereotypes.
