Illustrated talk by author Annie Garthwaite on the women who shaped the Wars of the Roses, part of the Hull Literary & Philosophical Society's 2026/27 season.
Annie Garthwaite is coming to Hull Guildhall on Tuesday 9 February, for a talk she's titled Mothers-in-War: The Women of the Wars of the Roses. It's part of the Hull Literary & Philosophical Society's 2026/27 season of guest lectures, which runs as a series of one-hour illustrated talks by professional speakers throughout the year.
Garthwaite is an acclaimed novelist who's built her recent work around the women of the Wars of the Roses. Her first, Cecily, was a Sunday Times 'top pick' and a Waterstones 'Best Book of 2021'; her second, The King's Mother, was a Times 'Book of the Month'. Both bring the women of that era to life, and this talk follows that same thread. She'll be tracing the risks and prices paid by the women who shaped the conflict, from Cecily Neville, matriarch of York, to Margaret Beaufort, mother of the Tudor dynasty.
If you're not already familiar with the period, the Wars of the Roses were the series of dynastic struggles for the English throne between the houses of Lancaster and York during the 15th century. While the history books usually focus on the kings and the battles, Garthwaite's work looks at the women behind the scenes—the mothers, wives, and daughters who navigated the politics and the fallout. The talk will be illustrated, so there'll be visuals to go along with the storytelling.
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It's a one-hour session, and the timing is quite specific: doors open at 6.45pm, and the organisers ask audiences to be seated before 7.25pm, as the talk starts at 7.30pm prompt. If you're planning to head in, it's worth giving yourself a bit of a buffer so you're settled before it kicks off.
