Talks and Events
Joanne gives various talks throughout the year. To arrange a speaking event, use the contact page. For recorded events and podcasts, see the Youtube playlist below.
UPCOMING EVENTS
See links below to purchase tickets.
(all times BST unless otherwise noted).
Thomas More: Life and Death
Tudors and Stuarts Weekend 2025
Date: Saturday 26 April 2025, 11:30-12:30
Venue: Augustine House | AHg.27
There are few figures in English history as divisive as Thomas More; he is worshipped as a saint and reviled as a persecutor. This talk by Joanne Paul – author of a forthcoming biography of More – will present new evidence about More’s upbringing, court connections and political beliefs, with the aim of re-evaluating his divided legacy. Participants will also be given a new perspective on More’s fall - his trial and execution at the hands of the king he served, Henry VIII. Separating myth from solid evidence, the talk will seek to discover the heart and mind of the historic More.
Book tickets here.
Anne Boleyn and Thomas More: Faction and Faith in the Court of Henry VIII
Date: Thursday 12th June 7:30pm
Venue: Southwark Cathedral
Opposed in both religion and policy, Anne Boleyn and Thomas More have always been portrayed as bitter rivals, though they shared a fate at the hands of Henry VIII, executed less than a year apart.
Join Tudor historians Dr Estelle Paranque and Dr Joanne Paul as they discuss the relationship between these controversial Tudor figures and the parallels between their dramatic falls.
This event will take place in the Cathedral library and is in-person only. Copies of Thomas More: A Life by Dr Joanne Paul and Thorns, Lust and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn by Dr Estelle Paranque will be available to purchase on the evening and both will be happy to sign copies.
Book tickets here.
Thomas More: Life and Death
Date: Wednesday 18th June 6:30pm
Venue: Parish Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8RY
A remarkable book about the life and philosophy of Thomas More. It is a revelatory introduction to this most complex of figures.
Thomas More: A Life with Author and Historian Dr Joanne Paul
Date: Wednesday 16th July 10am EST
Venue: ONLINE (hosted by Ashland Public Library, Mass)
This one is for our history buffs out there! Join author and historian Joanne Paul as she discusses her book, "Thomas More: A Life", the definitive biography of the man who dominated political and intellectual circles in England during the sixteenth century. Meticulously researched, based on new archival discoveries, and drawing on more than a decade of research into More’s life and work, this is a richly told story of faith and politics that illuminates a man who, more than four hundred years after his execution, remains one of the most brilliant minds of the Renaissance. We hope you can join us for this fascinating talk!
Register here.
Thomas More: Man, Myth and Mystery
Harvington History Festival 2025
Date: Thurs 24th July 1.30pm
Saintly scholar, zealous persecutor, ambitious statesman - who was the ‘real’ Thomas More? Neither the hero of Man For All Seasons nor the villain of Wolf Hall, this talk recovers the living, breathing, complex historical individual who walked London’s streets, wrote Utopia, and daringly spoke truth to Henry VIII. Drawing on new archival research from her biography of More, Dr Joanne Paul will separate the man from the myth to discover the real Thomas More. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of the sixteenth century to separate fact from fiction and uncover the enduring legacy of one of history's most enigmatic and divisive figures.
Book tickets here.