2024 saw the TORCH Book at Lunchtime series enter its eleventh year of life with more astonishing books from a range of captivating and inspirational authors. One particular highlight of the many was when we welcomed Dr Janina Ramirez to discuss her widely acclaimed book FEMINA: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It. At the event Dr Ramirez was in conversation with Professor Jane Shaw of Harris Manchester College, Oxford.
Described by the Guardian as "a revelatory study of medieval women’s lives" FEMINA re-evaluates the status of women in the Middle Ages whose names have been ‘struck from the historical record due to the one word annotated beside them – FEMINA.’ One review states that "FEMINA is an ambitious project, Ramirez orients each chapter around a particular theme and figure placing the past and present beside one another using modern scientific discoveries and cultural artefacts to provide contextual information for the subject she is discussing. Careful to underline that she is not re-writing history but rather shifting the focus from men to women, FEMINA’S overarching goal is to use the visible – physical artefacts – to reveal the seemingly invisible – women"
The audience for this compelling conversation were delighted to be in the company of such a charismatic and inspirational author and Janina was wonderfully enthusiastic and informative. The conversation is on the TORCH YouTube channel and is definitely worth watching as an entertaining and highly informative session which was enjoyed immensely by an audience from both within and beyond OU.
View the Book at Lunchtime YouTube playlist here
