Illumino: A history of Medieval Britain in twelve illuminated manuscripts Michelle P. Brown
Event details
Explore the history of medieval Britain through the biographies of illuminated manuscripts and their creators. Each remarkable manuscript serves as a gateway into the lives of its makers and commissioners, and as a springboard into the era of its creation.
Illuminated manuscripts are among the most intricate and fascinating forms of medieval evidence, blending literature, art, science, faith and human thought with the materiality of their production. By undertaking the detective work needed to determine the nature of each project and the underlying human-interest stories, Michelle P. Brown, author of Illumino: A History of Medieval Britain in Twelve Illuminated Manuscripts, reveals their social, economic and cultural contexts. Join Michelle for a beautifully illustrated talk as she charts the exchange of ideas and materials across time and space.
Why not stay afterwards for a drinks reception and ‘Two Treasures of Herat’?
Book sales
You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too.
About the speaker
Dr Michelle P. Brown FSA is Professor Emerita of Medieval Manuscript Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, and is a Visiting Professor at University College London. She is a Patron of Society of Bookbinders and an Honorary Lay Canon of Truro Cathedral. She was formerly the Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts at the British Library and a Lay Canon and Chapter Member of St Paul's Cathedral, London. She has published, lectured and broadcast widely on medieval cultural history. As well as Illumino (Reaktion Books 2025), her books include Bede and the Theory of Everything (2023), Art of the Islands (2016) and The Lindisfarne Gospels (2003).
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