An Evening with Amy Jeffs at Waterstones Salisbury

Join us for an evening welcoming back author, art historian and printmaker Amy Jeffs to Salisbury as she discusses her newest book 'Saints: A new legendary of heroes, humans and magic' with us.

Numerous saints were held to have lived, breathed and performed miracles across Britain, from only decades after Christ's death, up to the eve of the Reformation, with all of its consequent destruction.In medieval narratives these saints are given nature's blessing: a salmon finds Cadog's handbook, the Thames parts for Alban, geese fill the sky to converse with Werbaugh. Moreover they fit the medieval view of British history at large. St Cadog and King Arthur are contemporaries; St Mungo meets Merlin in the woods; St Alban is implicated in the Roman persecution of Christians. And while there was no single history accepted across its islands and diverse populations, these stories do enable us to reconstruct a long, obsolete view on Britain's deepest past.Through passages of narrative, deeply researched explanation and beautifully illustrated by the author with thirty paper-cutouts, Saints retells stories that enjoyed centuries of popular appeal among medieval Christians but were suppressed when their shrines were destroyed. These stories embraced the darkness of their heroes: sinister saints who sacrificed their followers and women who communed with geese, saints whose decapitated heads spoke to wolves.
There will be a chance for audience Q&A plus a book signing to end the night. Ticket price includes a glass of wine or soft drink equivalent. We hope you can join us..

Host or Publisher Waterstones