Historian Catherine Clarke’s new book, A History of England in 25 Poems (Penguin Allen Lane; a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week in September 2025) uses poems written between the eighth century and today as portals into England’s past. And many of the poems take us into moments in the colourful history of London. In this talk, Catherine will reflect on how our understanding of history changes when we use poems as our time machines. And she’ll share some stories of London history from the book: from Dryden’s time capsule vision of a future London, written amid the ashes of the city in 1666, to Royalist banter at the end of the Interregnum, in the astonishingly scatological broadside ballad ‘Bum-fodder’ – and lots more. Join us to re-discover London and its history through these intimate and surprising poetic encounters. The evening will also include the opportunity to find out about the Victoria County History – England’s longest-running local history project, founded in 1899, and its work in London.
Catherine Clarke is a Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and Director of the Victoria County History of England. She was previously Professor of English Literature at the University of Southampton, where she remains a Visiting Professor.
