Janina Ramirez at literary festivals

Last checked: 28 October 2026

Janina Ramirez writes about the medieval world, historical memory and the stories people use to understand themselves. Her books include adult history, children’s non-fiction and Viking mysteries. At Hay in 2026 she appeared in a conversation about women’s stories, a news panel and a session about working in the creative industries.

Quick facts

Best known for: Femina and cultural history
Genre or subject: Cultural history, art history and children’s books
Latest book: Legenda (2025)
2026 festivals: Hay Festival

About Janina Ramirez

Ramirez is a cultural historian, broadcaster and author. Her own biography describes a degree in English at Oxford followed by a doctorate at York’s Centre for Medieval Studies. Her roles include Director of Studies in History of Art at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and Visiting Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln.

Her broadcasting includes documentaries and presenting on Front Row. She has also presented The Art Detective and is Lifetime President of Gloucester History Festival. These different forms of public history connect with a bibliography written for several audiences. A children’s mystery, an illustrated introduction and an adult historical argument offer different approaches to the past.

The programme shows Ramirez both discussing her own work and interviewing another practitioner. Check the event’s speaker list and description to see which role she is taking. If you are choosing a visit around a book, the title and subject are stronger guides than a familiar name in the chair.

For a family booking, look at the recommendation attached to that session. The audience for a children’s book event can differ from an adult history discussion or a professional workshop. Do not assume that an author who writes for younger readers is addressing children at every appearance. A book’s age guidance and a live event’s recommendation answer separate questions. Reading the whole description will help you choose the conversation you want before committing to a day of several sessions.

You can choose by subject, format or the reading you want to try next.

Where to start with their books

Legenda

Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe examines how women’s lives have been reshaped in accounts of the past. Figures such as Joan of Arc and Lady Godiva become starting points for questions about national identity and political storytelling. Begin here for the theme behind the 2026 Hay conversation and the Kenilworth event.

Femina

Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It was published in 2022. Its focus is the power and influence of women within the medieval world. Read it alongside Legenda to compare two related questions: who has disappeared from a familiar account, and how a remembered woman’s story has been changed.

The Private Lives of the Saints

This book approaches Anglo-Saxon saints as people within their historical circumstances, looking at authority, politics and religious life. It moves beyond the elevated image produced by later legends. Choose it if the appeal is early medieval society and the relationship between a person’s life and the meanings attached to it afterwards.

Beowulf: A Ladybird Expert Book

This short introduction considers the poem, its survival and its lasting appeal. It gives a compact route into a different part of Ramirez’s work, with monsters, heroic storytelling and the history of a manuscript all in view. It is an introduction to the subject, with a different purpose from a translation or scholarly edition of the poem.

Goddess

Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief was created with the British Museum and illustrated by Sarah Walsh. Published in 2022, it brings together female figures from different cultures and traditions. The publisher places it in its 9–12 range. That book guidance is separate from an unrelated live talk’s age recommendation.

Festival appearances

For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.

2026

Janina Ramirez: featured events in 2026
Festival	Date	Event and venue	Official source
Hay Festival	23 May 2026	(Mis)representation: Women’s Stories Discovery Stage	Official listing
Hay Festival	23 May 2026	Creative Industry Insights: Danny Robins with Janina Ramirez Spring Stage; ages 14+	Official listing
Hay Festival	23 May 2026	The Weekend News Global Stage	Official listing

What their events are like

Hay included (Mis)representation: Women’s Stories on Saturday 23 May 2026 at 1pm on the Discovery Stage. Ramirez and novelist Elodie Harper spoke with Samira Ahmed about recovering and writing women’s lives. Legenda provided Ramirez’s perspective on the relationship between historical people, their later reputations and national stories.

Earlier that day she joined The Weekend News at 10am on the Global Stage, alongside Adam Fleming, Poorna Bell, Frederick Studemann and Emma Pinchbeck. At 4pm on the Spring Stage she interviewed Danny Robins for Creative Industry Insights, about writing for radio, television and theatre. The organiser recommended that session for ages 14 and over.

Those 2026 sessions have finished. The creative-industries conversation had a different subject from the Legenda talk, while the shared news panel ranged beyond medieval history.

Where to see them next

Kenilworth Chamber has announced an author conversation with Ramirez and Victoria Mier for 7 February 2027 at the Holiday Inn, 212 Abbey End, Kenilworth. The subject is Legenda. Check the organiser’s current ticket page for the start time and entry information.

The Sub Rooms has announced The Bayeux Tapestry for Sunday 7 March 2027 at 2.30pm. Ramirez joins curator Michael Lewis for a conversation about the tapestry, with an interval, audience questions and a book signing described in the programme.

No individual 2027 Hay appearance has been announced yet. These are separate events with their own organisers and tickets.

Plan your trip

Use the Hay guide for a future festival visit, then match the venue on your ticket with the day’s other bookings. The earlier programme placed Ramirez in several roles and stages, so choose the conversation you want before arranging the rest of the day.

If sharing the trip, compare everyone’s interests first. One person may want a discussion of historical sources while another prefers a performance or children’s session. Leave time between them for eating, finding the next entrance and a break from listening. A timetable with every gap filled can make it harder to enjoy the event that drew you there.

For Kenilworth and The Sub Rooms, use those organisers’ travel and access pages. Their venues and practical requirements are separate from a Hay Festival booking.

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Your questions about Janina Ramirez

Does a chaired event concentrate on her books?

At Hay she interviewed Danny Robins about his own creative work. Read the programme description to see whether Ramirez is the subject, an interviewer or one member of a panel.

Is Legenda a new 2026 book?

It was published in 2025. Its paperback followed in 2026. A new format can prompt fresh events without making the underlying book a new title.

Are the children’s books the best preparation?

Choose the book that matches the session. Goddess offers an illustrated introduction, while Femina and Legenda develop adult historical arguments. A Viking mystery offers another reading route.

Are the 2027 events part of Hay Festival?

Kenilworth and The Sub Rooms have announced their own conversations. Read each organiser’s event page for the correct date, venue and ticket conditions.