Lucy Hughes-Hallett – The Scapegoat - Part of Derby Book Festival: Autumn Edition

£8

Date: 17 Nov 2024 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Book Tickets

Contact details

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Derby QUAD & Cinema
Market Place
Cathedral Quarter
Derby
DE1 3AS

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Description

From the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize, and numerous other awards, for The Pike, Lucy’s latest book is the extraordinary story of the meteoric rise and fall of George Villiers, the first Duke of Buckingham.

As King James I’s favourite, Buckingham was also his confidant, gatekeeper, right-hand man and lover.  When Charles I succeeded his father he was similarly enthralled and made Buckingham his best friend and mentor. A dazzling figure on horseback and a skilful player of the political game, Buckingham turned the influence his beauty gave him into immense wealth and power becoming one of the most flamboyant and enigmatic Englishmen at the heart of royal and political life.

Lucy transports us into a courtly world of masques and dancing, exquisite clothes, the art of Rubens and Van Dyck, gender-fluidity, same-sex desire and appallingly rudimentary medicine. Falling from grace spectacularly, Buckingham came to represent everything that was wrong with the country.

Lucy will be in conversation with Festival Chair, Professor Keith McLay, Provost (Learning & Teaching) at the University of Derby.

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