A Curious Invitation present London Month of the Dead
LIVING WITH PLAGUE AND PESTILENCE - The Medieval Experience
A Live, Illustrated Zoom Talk with Dr Elma Brenner
Wednesday 7th October 2020 at 7:00 pm

Following the Black Death, epidemic illness loomed large in late medieval Europe, as cities and communities were beset by recurrent outbreaks of plague and other epidemic illnesses. Drawing on remarkable manuscript and printed materials from the period, especially those held at Wellcome Collection, this talk explores the lived experience of plague and pestilence. People were dealing with illnesses that they could not cure or fully prevent, and their responses reflect anxiety, pragmatism and resilience.

The popularity of texts like the Ars moriendi (Art of Dying Well) demonstrates the preoccupation with death and the world to come, while plague advice manuals show the efforts of physicians and others to preserve life. Strategies to combat epidemic illness included appeals to saints and the use of magico-religious healing charms. In this richly illustrated online talk, the Medeival specialist at the Wellcome Collection, Dr Elma Brenner devotes attention to responses to the deadly Sweating Sickness in London, and also considers the rich material culture of death and pestilence.

Early bird tickets are just £4 and available for a limited time only. Tickets include a 20% donation to NHS Charities Together. Please click here to purchase.

Dr Elma Brenner
Dr Elma Brenner is Wellcome Collection’s medieval specialist and Co-Editor of Social History of Medicine. Her research explores social and cultural responses to health and illness in medieval France and England. She is co-editor of Leprosy and Identity in the Middle Ages: From England to the Mediterranean, forthcoming with Manchester University Press in 2021.

PLEASE NOTE - This talk will take place virtually via Zoom. Ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm BST on the day of the lecture. A link to the conference will be sent to the email used at checkout at 6:00 pm BST on the day of the event. Please email suzette@acuriousinvitation.com in the event your link fails to arrive. Please note this talk will be recorded and can be sent free of charge to ticket holders by request.