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Normal Women — History
Normal Women

Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women is a new podcast from HarperCollins, launched to coincide with the publication of this landmark work of scholarship and storytelling, from celebrated novelist and historian Philippa Gregory.

Normal Women is a radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen – but of social and cultural change, powered by the determination, persistence and effectiveness of women– from 1066 to modern times. This is not another book or podcast about three or four well-known heroines; it is a story about millions of women: those who left records and those who were ‘hidden from history.’

The podcast weaves together Philippa’s narrative history with lively discussions, bringing together historians who are experts in their field, and guests with their own modern perspectives. From popstars to TikTok superstars, groundbreaking campaigners to best selling authors, Philippa welcomes women from all walks of life to look back at the past lives of half the population, and put women where they belong – centre stage.

This eight-part series starts on the 26th October, publishing weekly.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Harper Collins

Latest Episodes:

Bonus Episode: Normal Women... are mad Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

What if the so-called "madwoman" wasn’t mad at all? In this special episode of Normal Women, Philippa Gregory is joined by academic and author of Delusions of Gender Cordelia Fine to expose the myths behind the so-called fragile female brain. From hysteria to hormones, we ask: are women really more emotional, or have we just been told that we are for centuries?

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8. Normal women...are married, divorced and single Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

The marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert set the template for how we imagine a wedding should be but it wasn’t always about big white frocks. Philippa Gregory explores how married women became the property of their husbands - along with everything they owned and produced. She considers the hidden history of wife sales and female husbands and shines a light on the difficulty women had accessing divorce.

Joining Philippa to consider the institutions of marriage, divorce and single life through time are:

Laura Bates, writer, activist and founder of the Everyday Sexism project
Rachael Lennon, writer, social history curator and author of Wedded Wife: A Feminist History of Marriage

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Music: When Adam Was First Created - performed by Andy Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7. Normal women...are beyond definition Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

Men have always claimed that there is such a thing as “female nature” and described it with great authority – but throughout history, women have refused to conform to the strict view of what is masculine and feminine - from fierce jousting medieval ladies to 18th Century French aristocrats who seamlessly slip in and out of male and female roles.

Joining Philippa to discuss whether women have ever fitted the mould are:

Professor Cordelia Fine, philosopher of science and psychologist and author of Testosterone Rex and Delusions of Gender and
Dr Ronx Ikharia, A&E doctor and presenter of Operation Ouch and The Gender Diagnosis podcast

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6. Normal Women...are a weaker vessel Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

Bitten, spat on, denounced - in the 1990s newly-ordained women were met with fury by a vocal minority. But women have always played an important role in the Church, as mystics, the heads of religious houses, saints or simply as normal women seeking salvation.

Joining Philippa to tell the story of women's changing place in the Church of England - from 'weaker vessels' in the sixteenth century to women bishops in the twenty-first:

Rev Richard Coles, writer, broadcaster and clergyman
Dr Grace Heaton, historian, University of Oxford

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5. Normal Women...think about rape Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

Throughout history women have faced the threat of sexual violence and, sadly, it's no different today. Philippa explores how rape was viewed as a crime against a man’s property, how courtly love gave way to brutal desire and the difficulties women face in bringing their attackers to justice.

Joining Philippa to discuss rape - how it has changed through history and how we see it now are:

Joanna Bourke, Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London and author ‘Rape: A history ’
Soma Sara anti-rape activist and founder of ‘Everyone’s Invited’ website and charity

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

If you or someone you know has been affected by rape or sexual violence or needs to talk to someone, support can be found via the NHS website or via the following organisations:

The Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line run by Rape Crisis England & Wales 0808 500 2222
Rape Crisis Scotland 0808 801 0302
Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline – Northern Ireland 0808 802 1414

Clips:

Gone With The Wind - director Victor Fleming - Metro Goldwyn Mayer

Hey, trolly lolly lo! - The King's Singers Royal Rhymes and Rounds ℗ 2012 Signum Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4. Normal Women...are underpaid Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

Whether you are on the Board or in the kitchen, a medieval peasant or modern day medic, a Victorian street-sweeper or eighteenth century hand-spinner - if you are a woman, there’s every chance you are underpaid. So why is that? Explanations vary across the centuries from women's lack of upper-body strength to the demands of motherhood and patriarchal oppression, but one thing is certain - the pay gap never closes.

Joining Philippa to discuss the history of women's work are:

Professor Jane Humphries, economic historian at the University of Oxford and London School of Economics and
data scientist Edwina Dunn, founder of the educational charity The Female Lead, which empowers and listens to women.

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3. Normal Women...love women Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

Sapphism, the Cult of the Clitoris, coded diaries and a bower of bliss - Philippa Gregory tells the story of women who love women, and those who tried to stop them. We hear from famous lesbians including Queen Anne and Gentleman Jack and less famous lovers rescued from the footnotes of history.

Joining Philippa to discuss the history of women who love women are:

TikTok stars Caitlin and Leah and
Professor Laura Gowing, who teaches women's history and queer history at King's College London.

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2. Normal Women...are angels Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Just how should women behave? Throughout History, they have so often been expected to act as genteel ladies and confined to the home - often described as the 'angel in the house'. But far from remaining passive, many used their influence to put themselves at the heart of radical social change. In this episode we hear about the anti slavery campaigners - and Philippa introduces us to the hundreds of women who absolutely, under no circumstances wanted the vote.

Joining Philippa to discuss the push and pull of homely responsibilities throughout history are:

Geri Halliwell-Horner former Spice Girl and children’s author and
Kate Mosse, best-selling novelist and the founder of the Women In History campaign

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Normal Women...riot! Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Philippa tells the story of women rebels and rioters - from the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt to those arrested at the vigil for Sarah Everard. We hear from 'Captain' Ann Carter, leader of a seventeenth century food riot, hanged by the authorities and just one of the thousands of women Philippa has rescued from the footnotes of history and placed at the heart of her book 'Normal Women - 900 years of Making History'.

Joining Philippa to discuss women-led strikes, protests and rebellions are:

Historian Sheila Rowbotham and
Dame Louise Casey, author of a report on London's Metropolitan Police Force.

Normal Women is Philippa Gregory's radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen, but a history of the millions of women missing from the record: wives and workers, viragoes and angels, female husbands, priests and pirates.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philippa Gregory's Normal Women - Coming soon Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

A new eight-part series starts on the 26th October.

Normal Women is a radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen – but of social and cultural change, powered by the determination, persistence and effectiveness of women– from 1066 to modern times. This is not a podcast about three or four well-known heroines; it is a story about millions of women: those who left records and those who were ‘hidden from history.’

We'll hear about rioting women, power-mad women, manipulative women, angelic women and cursed women as Philippa Gregory weaves together narrative history with lively discussions, bringing together historians who are experts in their field, and guests with lived experience and their own modern perspectives to discuss themes from the her book 'Normal Women - 900 Years of Making History'.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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