Speaker: Annie Garthwaite, Author of “Cicely”

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This is a chance to meet longtime Ricardian and author Annie Garthwaite, whose books Cecily and The King’s Mother have received universal acclaim. Focusing on the life of Cecily Neville, Richard III’s mother, her novels weave together the stories of four ferocious women who were not afraid to play the political long-game in order to see their sons crowned as England’s king. Praised for tautly drawn plot, “jump off the page” characters, and historical detail, many reviewers are asking whether the new Hilary Mantel has arrived.

Annie Garthwaite grew up in a working-class community in the northeast of England where, inspired by an enthusiastic history teacher, she became a Ricardian and joined the Richard III Society in 1977. She went on to study English at university before embarking on a thirty-year international business career, having promised herself that, at age 55, she would ‘give up the day job’ and write the story of Richard III’s mother. That promise has been fulfilled with her two novels. Her debut Cecily was published by Penguin in 2021 and named a ‘top pick’ by The Times and Sunday Times on publication, a ‘Best Book of 2021’ by independent bookshops and Waterstones. It has recently been optioned for TV. Annie’s second novel, The King’s Mother, was published by Penguin in July 2024 and was immediately named ‘Book of the Month’ by The Times.