It is Spring 878 and Guthrum the Dane is leading a great army towards Winchester. The inhabitants of Winchester are fearful, uncertain as to whether their king, Alfred, will be able to defend them.
In fact, events are about to turn in Winchester’s favour at the Battle of Edington. Find out more about the fascinating background to the acclaimed 878 AD interactive experience. Meet leading experts who will explore the history, archaeology and language of ninth century Wessex. Take the opportunity to ask questions about Winchester's rich cultural heritage.
Cost per ticket £15 including pre-talk and interval drinks.
The evening will be in two halves with an interval for refreshments:
• An overview of 9th century life in Winchester from some of the advisers behind 878 AD exploring the influence of Alfred on our culture and language
• Audience questions and discussion
Prof Ryan Lavelle
Prof Bill Lucas
Prof Christopher Mulvey
Jaane Rowehl
Ryan is Professor in Early Medieval History at the University of Winchester. An internationally recognised expert in Anglo-Saxon Winchester and King Alfred, he is the author of the award-winning book Alfred's Wars: Sources and Interpretations of Anglo-Saxon Warfare in the Viking Age. Ryan was historical advisor for The Last Kingdom, the hit BBC and Netflix series, based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, that tells the story of King Alfred and the birth of England, and was an academic adviser to the development of 878 AD.
Prof Bill Lucas
Bill is Professor of Learning and Director of the Centre Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester. Bill is chair of The English Project and the author of many books on the teaching of English. With Chris Mulvey, he is the author of A History of the English Language in 100 Places.
Prof Christopher Mulvey
Chris is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Winchester. Since 2007, he has run Greyfriars Language Consulting, providing advice on language use, communication, grammar, punctuation, style, and the history and geography of English. With Bill Lucas, he is the author of A History of the English Language in 100 Places. He is a trustee of The English Project and was an academic adviser to the development of 878 AD.
Jaane Rowehl
Jaane is Director of Collections and Programming at the Hampshire Cultural Trust where she supports and guides the delivery of the exhibitions programme, capital developments and ongoing management of the collections team. Jaane played a key role in developing the 878 AD.
