Wantage Literary Festival – Tuesday 28 October 2025

2025 is the 250th anniversary of the novelist Jane Austen’s birth, and a number of events are taking place nationally to celebrate. Whilst Steventon, Bath and other places are well known for their connections to the famous writer, the Vale of the White Horse is not! Yet Jane was related to the Craven family of Ashdown Park and one of her suitors – to whom she was engaged for one night – owned an estate at Woolstone. A number of her characters are said to have been inspired by members of the Craven family, and there are names and places in the Vale that are mentioned in her books. In this talk, historian and author Nicola Cornick reveals the links between the famous author and the Craven family and uncovers the truth behind Jane Austen’s local inspiration.

Nicola Cornick is a writer and historian known for her historical romance novels and time-slip mysteries. She holds degrees in Medieval and Public History and is a Service Dog Trainer for the Visually Impaired.

This event will be supported by an exhibition kindly loaned from Uffington Museum.

Join us for an insightful exploration of historical fashion with Anna Buruma. Anna’s book Artistic Dress at Liberty & Co: The Early Years delves into the evolution of dress design at Liberty & Co, highlighting the transition from restrictive Victorian clothing to more artistic and comfortable styles. Discover how Liberty became synonymous with both the Aesthetic and the English Art Nouveau Movements, pioneering unique textiles and patterns. Immerse yourself in the rich history and artistic innovation that defined Liberty & Co’s early years. Anna Buruma will be in conversation with Jane Dunn.

Anna Buruma is the Head Archivist at Liberty, transforming the Liberty print archive into an innovative design resource for over 25 years. Her expertise in historical fashion and textiles is unparalleled, making her a leading authority in the field.

In the wake of the Nazi invasion of Europe, the tentative sparks of resistance in occupied countries were fanned by Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). Across the continent, SOE recruited women to ‘set Europe ablaze’, bolstering resistance from within and providing much needed support and weapons. Taking us beyond the realms of the French resistance, this talk will introduce women who worked all over Europe as part of a network of secret agents and saboteurs. Their missions were as varied as the women themselves, and each one deserves to have their story told and their invaluable work remembered.

Kate Vigurs is an independent historian, author, lecturer, and academic advisor. She is known for her earlier work, Mission France, and often contributes to TV, radio, and the press.

Anne Lawrence-Mathers argues that medieval magic is often seen negatively, as outlawed by the Church, and relegated to society’s fringes. However, she contends that magic was central to medieval societies, from the Carolingian Empire to Renaissance Italy and Tudor England. Using examples from her book, she illustrates this with images from luxury manuscripts owned by powerful figures in both Church and state, and the magicians they employed. These manuscripts feature astrology, palmistry, divination, ritual magic, angel magic, and geomancy, often providing practical instructions and beautiful illuminations. They were not just curiosities; ambitious princes and courtiers used them to gain knowledge of future events, from natural disasters to political crises. While theologians frowned upon contacting ‘spirits’, practitioners argued these beings could be controlled or were angels. Anne Lawrence-Mathers emphasises that surviving manuscripts are crucial as they preserve evidence of their owners, users, and the controversial knowledge they offered. Her talk includes images and translations, offering insights into various magical techniques.

Anne Lawrence-Mathers is a Professor of Medieval History at the University of Reading and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries.

We used to cherish and repair our clothes, which provided fulfilling work for many. Today, we own five times more clothes than 50 years ago, with one hundred billion garments produced annually, many unsold and discarded. Patrick Grant’s book addresses the crisis of consumption and quality in fashion, advocating for fewer, better-quality items. He celebrates craftsmanship and suggests that rethinking our relationship with clothing could revive local economies which have been affected by globalisation and overseas manufacturing. Andrew St George will interview Patrick Grant.

Patrick Grant is a Scottish clothier, businessman, TV personality, and author. He studied material sciences at the University of Leeds and completed an MBA at Oxford. Grant relaunched E. Tautz & Sons—originally established in 1867 and renowned for its sporting and military attire—reimagining it as a contemporary menswear label focused on high-quality, UK-made casualwear. In addition to his work in fashion, Grant also serves as a judge on the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee.