Emma Smith is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Hertford College, Oxford. Her book, Portable Magic: a history of books and their readers, was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize in 2023. This lecture is based on a forthcoming book, The First Elizabethans: England’s sixteenth century Renaissance.

This talk was recorded on 7 January 2025, as part of the series 'The history that Shakespeare gave us' (all talks available to watch now, free for HA members).