Books
Queens of Jerusalem
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Queens of Jerusalem is my debut work exploring the lives of ruling women in the world of the medieval Middle East. Over the course of this book I tell the stories of Morphia of Melitene, Alice of Antioch, Melisende of Jerusalem, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Agnes of Courtenay and Sibylla of Jerusalem. I compare their roles with those played by the wife of Saladin, and the Damascene Queen Zummurud. These women constituted an extraordinary dynasty of female rulers, who have too often been overlooked in literature. Queens of Jerusalem is currently in development for scripted TV drama with amazon studios. It is available in English, Turkish, Mandarin and Serbian - with several other translations underway.
Twilight Cities
Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean
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My second book, Twilight Cities, was awarded the 2024 Somerset Maugham Prize. It blends on the ground experiences with in depth historical research and examines the histories of five of the most important cities of the ancient world, from their splendour in antiquity to their comparatively modest twilight. Using Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna and Antioch as case studies, this book charts the transformation of the Mediterranean Region throughout history. I also examine the effects of the recent earthquakes on the identity and cultural heritage of Antakya. It was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on July 6th 2023, and was selected as non-fiction book of the month by Hatchard's.
