I, Julian: The fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich

I, Julian is a novel that tells the story of a medieval woman named Julian of Norwich, who lived in 1347 and experienced the first plague outbreak. She had mystical visions that brought her comfort and concern, but she was not safe when the Church was actively condemning heretics. Despite this, she found a way to live a life of freedom as an anchoress, writing her own story and offering word of counsel to others. Her manuscripts were protected by trusted sisters and were passed from hand to hand, becoming the first book to be written by a woman in English. The book is written with profound insight, spiritual and psychological depth, and a rare sensitivity to the everyday world of the fourteenth century. It was awarded an Award of Merit in the Fiction Category in the Christianity Today awards, 2023, and was a finalist in the Religious Fiction category of the 2023 International Book Awards. The cover design for the book also won an ECPA Top Shelf award in 2023.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 11 April 2024
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

"I was completely hooked and considerably moved by the life and thoughts of this exceptional woman" - JEREMY IRONS. It is as if we have finally found the lost autobiography of one of the medieval world's most important women. - JANINA RAMIREZ. A beautiful, intensely moving achievement - A.N. WILSON.

In 1347, the first pestilence rages across the land. The young Julian of Norwich encounters the strangeness of death: first her father, then later her husband and her child. When she falls ill herself, she encounters mystical visions that bring comfort and concern. But in the midst of suspicion and menace, when the Church is actively condemning heretics, Julian is not safe.

"I, Julian" is the account of a medieval woman who dares to tell her own story. Battling grief, plague, the Church, and societal expectations, and compelled by her powerful visions, Julian finds a way to live a life of freedom - as an anchoress, bricked up in a small room on the side of a church. Helped by Thomas, a Benedictine monk from Norwich Cathedral, she writes of what she has seen and offers word of counsel to others. Julian's manuscripts are protected by trusted sisters and are passed from hand to hand, becoming the first book to be written by a woman in English.

So I will write in English, pressing new words from this beautiful plain language spoken by all. Not courtly French to introduce God politely. Not church Latin to construct arguments. English to show it as it is. Even though it is not safe to do so.

Tender, luminous, meditative, and powerful, Julian writes of her love for God, and God's love for the whole of creation. All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

Written with profound insight, spiritual, and psychological, Julian's writings are a testament to her resilience and her unwavering faith in the power of love and compassion. Her words continue to inspire and uplift readers today, reminding us of the importance of embracing our own stories and finding ways to live lives that are true to our deepest values.

Weight: 236g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399807548