Dr Jess Venner: The Lost Voices of Pompeii

Dr Jess Venner is coming to the QUAD on Thursday 12 November to talk about her latest book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii. It's part of the Derby Book Festival, and the talk is held in partnership with the Derbyshire Classical Association branch. Venner is an award-winning ancient historian and archaeologist, and she's also worked as a consultant on the BBC documentary Pompeii: The New Dig, so she knows the ground she's writing about.

The Lost Voices of Pompeii reconstructs the city's final day through the lives of seven citizens from all walks of life. Among them are Julia Felix, a successful female entrepreneur who worked against Roman convention; Petrinus, a freed slave grappling with his future; and the politician Gaius Cuspius Pansa, who was cementing his power by staging gladiatorial games at the amphitheatre. The narrative follows the hours leading up to the eruption, and it's as much about the people as it is about the event. The Times called the work 'delightful' and praised how Venner builds a portrait of a city thriving at the very point it was snuffed out. It's a reminder of what, and who, was lost in 79 AD.

Venner's background as an archaeologist puts her in a good position to bring those voices back. The book doesn't just look at the disaster from a distance; it puts you inside the city, following people like Felix and Pansa right up to the end. If you've got any interest in Roman history, or just in the kind of storytelling that puts a human face on the archaeological record, this is one to keep on your radar.

The talk runs from 6:15pm to 7:15pm on Thursday 12 November at the QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS. Tickets are £10.