Summer Talks

Max Adams

Max Adams was the first director of Durham University Archaeological Services, before turning to writing in the 2000s. His group biography of John Martin and his circle, The Prometheans, was a Guardian Book of the Week in 2008. He was a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Newcastle University for three years. His first Early Medieval study, The King in the North, became a best-seller and he has since followed it with a quartet of studies of the period, including Ælfred’s Britain (2017). He also writes about trees, woods and landscape. His most recent work is Domesday: 1,000 miles on foot through the England of the Norman Conquest (September 2026). He lives in County Durham. He is a Churchill Fellow and a Visiting Fellow at Newcastle University.

M J Porter

MJ Porter was born in the old Mercian kingdom sometime after 1066 and grew up fascinated by Early English history, inspired by local legends and historical artifacts in their surroundings This early curiosity shaped their focus on Saxon England, Vikings, and the broader British Isles. Porter is also a book reviewer and blog host, sharing insights on historical fiction and writing.

Paul Bernardi

Paul Bernardi is an author of historical fiction. After leaving university in 1990 with a Masters’ degree in Anglo-Saxon studies, he began work for a major UK financial institution, though his passion for all things historical remained undiminished.