W H Allen lands Ramirez's 'vivid and evocative' look at medieval women

From The Bookseller:

W H Allen has landed the "remarkable" Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages by Oxford University lecturer and BBC historian Janina Ramirez.

Out in March 2022 and based on 10 years of research, Femina will bring "remarkable medieval women to the fore and offer the first comprehensive look at why they were written out of history". Ramirez will create a "vivid and evocative" picture of the lives of the women who influenced medieval society, including Aethelflaed, Margery Kempe and King Jadwiga, as well as individuals discovered more recently, like the Loftus Princess and the Cathar spies. It promises to ultimately reveal "how and why these remarkable people were removed from our collective memories, and highlight the misconceptions that have underpinned our historical narratives".

Lucy Oates, commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Rosemary Scoular at United Agents. She said: "The Middle Ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, saints and kings: a patriarchal society that oppressed and excluded women. But by digging a little deeper into the truth, drawing on evidence from all disciplines, we can see that the ‘dark’ ages were anything but. Janina has such an enthusiasm for her subject, and as a visual historian brings the past to life with creativity and passion. I’m absolutely delighted to be publishing her at W H Allen."

Ramirez added: "This book is not simply about introducing you to women from history who are inspiring. It's about seeing the past and our relationship with it differently. It's about understanding how our access to history has been curated and manipulated, and how our perceptions can change going forward.

read more here from The Bookseller