An Update

Checking in with #TeamVera

Welcome to another edition of ‘Hiraeth’ from me, Nathen Amin.

Hiraeth is a Welsh word that means a longing for the past, for places, people and a time we can no longer reach. In this regular newsletter, I try my best to explore that past. If you’d like to learn more, please consider subscribing to get all posts, videos, talks, reviews and more directly to your inbox - and best of all - it’s FREE!

Hi #TeamVera, sut dych chi, pawb? How are you all?

Since it’s the height of summer, time for a general update post to keep you all abreast of the latest developments in my corner of the world. A bit self-indulgent, really, but I suppose it is my name above the door of this Substack so its only to be expected!

Live Events

It’s been an eventful year thus far, with some excellent events already in the record-books. Recently, I have spoken about Sir Rhys ap Thomas for Glansevin Mansion in Llangadog (which you can watch here), Henry VII and Elizabeth of York for Albany Theatre in Coventry, Owain Glyndwr for Tewkesbury Medieval Festival and have debated the Princes in the Tower with Matthew Lewis and Nicola Tallis at the Chalke History Festival, my first time at the big show of the historical calendar.

In fact I will be teaming back up with Nicola and Matt a few more times this year – we will be debating who was to blame for the Wars of the Roses at Harvington Hall on 23 July, discussing the wars again at Warwick Words Festival on 10 October and also at Southwark Cathedral on 27 November. We also have BIG plans for next year, but more about that in good time. Elsewhere, I will be back at Bosworth for the Medieval Festival on 22 August, one of the highlights in my calendar, speaking about the Power and Propaganda of Henry VII.

And for those of you based in the United States, I hope to confirm my appearance at a certain conference in October – still just working on the flights and logistics of it all before announcing.

Remember, I keep all my events updated at www.NathenAmin.com

Podcast

Elsewhere, I am still one of the hosts of the Aspects of History Podcast – we are trying to put out a medieval or Tudor-aligned podcast every month where possible. I have already spoken to Alice Loxton, Steven Veerapen, Sarah Gristwood, Charlie Higson, David Pilling, Helen Carr, Sean Cunningham and Chris Given-Wilson with others lined up soon. You can listen to these episodes here, on YouTube here, or wherever you podcast by searching Aspects of History.

Online Courses

Book-writing? Nope, I am still retired from that I am afraid. With a hectic day job and a busier social life that includes writing for, travelling to and presenting the events I’ve mentioned and running yet another online course. On the subject of which, ‘Women Who Shook the Wars of the Roses’ is the course Nicola Tallis and I are running in August, where we will be exploring between us four generations of incredible women who helped shape the fifteenth century – Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, Cecily Neville and Margaret of York. It is Margaret who has proven most revelatory to me during my research for my lecture; what a remarkable women she was, so often unfairly painted as a villain by troublesome Tudor propaganda.

Guided Tours

I also continue to be involved in various other things; just a few weeks ago I gave my first guided tour of a castle I know really well, Raglan, exploring the upbringing of Henry Tudor and his return to his boyhood home when he was king alongside his queen Elizabeth of York. It was in the middle of a heatwave but we myself and the group just about made it through unscathed, if a little bit more tanned! Some of these ruins need more roofs!

This September, meanwhile, I am thrilled to be featuring as the Alison Weir Tours Guest Historian as they head into Wales for ten days, exploring the rich and varied history of the beautiful land I hail from. It’s going to be GLORIOUS!

And don’t forget, next June I am leading my own tour to the south of France for my ‘Rise of the Tudors’ lecture programme, hosted by the wonderful Walnut Barn Retreats. You can learn more about this tour here, the lectures I will be giving and the castles we will be visiting.

I am still consulting as well for the forthcoming Henry Tudor Centre and Library, which will be coming to Pembroke next year and which will tell the story of how a son of this West Walian town did the unthinkable and became king of England. It’s a story, of course, I tell in vivid detail in my book ‘Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor’.

In personal news, my sister, my arch-nemesis for 36 years, has finally done something which hasn’t annoyed me which is give birth to baby Aryna. Here I am teaching her the history of the Red Dragon of Wales and how Henry Tudor weaponised Welsh mythology to build a claim to the English crown.

Anyway, until next time, HWYL (goodbye in Welsh!)

BONUS – in the comments below, tell me which castle you would like to have a guided tour around?