Helen Castor announced as Saturday keynote speaker

Next May we are heading back to Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare, where we will once more hubble and bubble to create the magic spell that is an HA conference. Do expect many more Shakespeare references over the next year; don’t expect us not to deliver another incredible educational event. This two-day conference is a leading highlight of the history community's year, bringing together all those working in and who have an active interest in history and heritage. With top-level academics, pedagogical sessions and discussion panels, the conference is a vibrant mix of historical expertise and subject support.

We are excited to announce that our Saturday morning keynote speaker will be the acclaimed historian, Helen Castor. Helen Castor is an award-winning historian of the medieval and Tudor period. Her most recent book The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2025. 

Her various work brings political power, family life and contested reputations into sharp focus — from queens who ruled before Elizabeth I to the Paston letters, Joan of Arc, and the rivalry of Richard II and Henry IV. Influential books include Blood and Roses, John of Arc: A History, Elizabeth I: A study in Insecurity, and She Wolves which led to a BBC television documentary series of the same name. As a broadcaster she has appeared in a range of historical documentaries and numerous radio appearances. Her work has received attention from literature prizes as well as non-fiction history ones.

New HA president James Daybell will also give a keynote, and we will be looking at a trip to the theatre as well as a walking tour and a visit to an interesting local site.

See you in May 2027 in Stratford-upon-Avon!

• The call for papers for education sessions is open until 5 October 2026.
• To register your interest in attending or exhibiting in 2027, please email conference@history.org.uk