On Saturday 16th of November, Caterham School hosted its second ever History Festival, with a quartet of respected historians and authors visiting to entertain and educate, answer questions and promote their published works.
The event was well attended supplemented by a large contingent of students of various ages from a number of local schools.
The first speaker at the event was Geoffrey Hosking, an expert on Russian History, speaking on Ukraine’s relationship with Russia and its journey to Nationhood.
Linda Porter, who has just published a book on Margaret Tudor, followed with an entertaining synopsis of the life of the elder sister of Henry VIII.
Clare Jackson, Honorary Professor of Early Modern History at Cambridge University next explored some key themes from Devil-land: England Under Siege, 1588 – 1688 which won the Wolfson History Prize.
Finally, Richard Evans who is an expert on Nazi Germany and a fellow recipient of the Wolfson History Prize, combined a explanation of his personal biographical journey with his use of a biographical approach to examining key constituents of the Third Reich in Hitler’s People.
After each talk the speakers generously answered questions from the audience and signed books, either pre-owned or bought from Village Books, the official bookseller of the Festival.
Head of History at Caterham School, Stephen Hosking, who hosted the event, commented afterwards "It was an absolute pleasure to welcome so many students, teachers, and members of the local community to Caterham on Saturday 16th November.
Four outstanding speakers shared their wisdom and insight on topics as varied as the Ukrainian pathway to statehood, the life of Margaret Tudor, Britain in the late Tudor and Stuart periods, and the role played by leading figures in the Third Reich.
My thanks to our wonderful speakers, the fantastic marketing team who worked so hard to make the day a success, and everyone who attended. We look forward very much to welcoming visitors back in November 2025 for next year’s event."
