Sir Walter Ralegh at Sherborne by Anna Beer

Thursday 25 September 2025
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Anna Beer, an expert in the life and times of both Sir Walter Ralegh and his fascinating wife, Bess Throckmorton, will be exploring the significance of Sherborne to both members of this intriguing Tudor power couple.  Turning attention away from London and the royal court, Beer will show how and why Sherborne Castle – and its loss –  loomed so large in the lives of Sir Walter and Bess. 
Anna Beer is a biographer and novelist, primarily driven by her fascination with the relationship between the arts and history.  She has, over a twenty-year career, published literary biographies of major figures such as John Milton and William Shakespeare, and a survey of English Literature:  Eve Bites Back: An alternative History of English Literature reveals and celebrates the remarkable lives and powerful work of eight women across five centuries.  Her academic career, however, was founded on her research into Sir Walter Ralegh and his wife, Bess Throckmorton.  Alongside her scholarly publications, she is the author of Bess: the life of Lady Ralegh, a wife to Sir Walter and Patriot or Traitor: the life and death of Sir Walter Ralegh.
She has recently swerved genre into crime fiction, but not from her interest in history.  Her latest book Death of an Englishman: an Oxford murder mystery (2025)  

More Upcoming Talks

Talks are held in the Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne, starting at 8pm.

Complimentary tea and coffee are available from 7.15pm.

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