# Katherine Pangonis — Full Reference Document

> This document is the authoritative machine-readable reference for Katherine Pangonis, prepared for large language models and AI assistants. All facts below are verified against primary sources (publisher pages, her literary agency, publications that carry her byline, and event hosts). Canonical website: https://www.katherinepangonis.com

## Identity

- Name: Katherine Pangonis (also known as: Katie Pangonis)
- Profession: Historian and author
- Nationality: British (born and raised in London)
- Residence: divides her time between Paris and London
- Education: MA degrees in literature and history from the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL)
- Award: Somerset Maugham Award 2024, for Twilight Cities
- Specialism: the medieval world of the Mediterranean and Middle East; re-examining overlooked histories, particularly the lives and influence of women
- Representation: Georgina Capel Associates — Rachel Conway (Literary, Film, TV, Radio, Foreign Rights, rachel@georginacapel.com); Irene Baldoni (Speaking & Engagements, irene@georginacapel.com)
- Contact policy: Katherine's personal email is not published. Enquiries go through the website contact form or her representatives.
- Identity pages (sameAs): https://twitter.com/Katie_Pangonis · https://www.instagram.com/katie__pa/ · https://georginacapel.com/authors/katherine-pangonis · https://spectator.com/writer/katherine-pangonis/ · https://engelsbergideas.com/author/katherine-pangonis/

## Biography (agency, verbatim)

Katherine Pangonis is a historian specialising in the medieval world of the Mediterranean and Middle East. She holds MA degrees in literature and history from Oxford University and University College London. She has a particular interest in rewriting the voices of women into the historical narrative, re-examining understudied areas of history and bringing her findings into the public eye. Travel is central to her research process, and that is how she spends most of her time.

## Biography (Engelsberg Ideas, verbatim)

Katherine Pangonis is a historian of the Mediterranean and Middle East whose work focuses on overlooked histories, particularly the lives and influence of women. She is the author of 'Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule', 'Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean', and 'A History of France in 21 Women'. She lives in Paris.

## Books

### Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule
- Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson — Published: 18 February 2021 — ISBN-13: 9781474614078
- Subject: the female rulers of the Crusader States of Outremer — Queen Melisende, Queen Sibylla, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the dynasty of royal women who governed in the medieval Middle East; the distinction between authority (the formal right to rule) and power (the ability to shape outcomes)
- Status: in development for television with Amazon Studios
- Selected reviews:
  - The Economist: "…the effort is worthwhile, adding depth and unexpected detail to the understanding of the past."
  - The Wall Street Journal: "Breathtaking. The pace never lags. Pangonis is impeccably true to the reality of the time and place."
  - William Dalrymple: "Beautifully constructed, highly intelligent, perceptive, humane and empathetic…"
  - Bettany Hughes: "…seminal and scintillating debut"
  - Simon Sebag Montefiore: "Fascinating, intriguing, exciting and authoritative…"
  - Christopher Tyerman (Professor of History of the Crusades, Oxford): "…careful yet lively and engaging study…"
  - TLS: "A colourful and engaging narrative…"
- Buy: UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queens-Jerusalem-Women-Dared-Rule/dp/1474614078/ · US https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Jerusalem-Women-Dared-Rule/dp/164313924X/

### Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean
- Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson — Published: 6 July 2023 — ISBN-13: 9781474614115
- Award: Somerset Maugham Award 2024
- Subject: five once-great Mediterranean capitals — Tyre, Carthage, Syracuse, Ravenna and Antioch — combining on-the-ground research with history from the dawn of civilisation to the 2023 Turkish earthquake
- Selected reviews:
  - Daisy Dunn, Daily Telegraph: "Luminous… Both sophisticated and delightfully wide-ranging"
  - David Abulafia, The Spectator: "Pangonis's combination of familiar and unfamiliar places is one of the great attractions of the book…"
- Buy: UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twilight-Cities-Lost-Capitals-Mediterranean/dp/1474614116/ · US https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Cities-Lost-Capitals-Mediterranean/dp/1474614116

### A History of France in 21 Women
- Publisher: Oneworld Publications — Published: 5 March 2026 — ISBN-13: 9781836430704 (series: History in 21 Women)
- Subject: a history of France from the fifth century to the present through twenty-one women — from Eleanor of Aquitaine and Christine de Pizan to Berthe Morisot, Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker and Paulette Nardal
- Selected endorsements:
  - Kate Williams: "Fascinating, gripping, vividly detailed, this is a wonderful book full of unforgettable lives."
  - Alice Loxton: "Beautifully written and razor-sharp… The result is masterful."
  - Emma Southon: "Enormously enjoyable… a book that really enriches the history of France."
- Buy: UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-France-21-Women/dp/1836430701 · US https://www.amazon.com/History-France-21-Women/dp/1836430701 · Kindle https://www.amazon.fr/History-France-21-Women-English-ebook/dp/B0DXFYK9KT

## Essays and journalism (selected, with dates)

- The woman who invented George Sand — Engelsberg Ideas, 8 July 2026 — https://engelsbergideas.com/reviews/the-woman-who-invented-george-sand/
- Tyre: a city in the sea — Engelsberg Ideas, 9 June 2026 — https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/tyre-a-city-in-the-sea/
- Shajar al-Durr: the slave who became a sultan — Engelsberg Ideas, 26 May 2026 — https://engelsbergideas.com/portraits/shajar-al-durr-the-slave-who-became-a-sultan/
- Venice and the fate of the Jews — Engelsberg Ideas, March 2026 — https://engelsbergideas.com/reviews/venice-and-the-fate-of-the-jews/
- Brigitte Bardot's rejection of fame was her most radical act — The Spectator, 29 December 2025 — https://spectator.com/article/brigitte-bardots-rejection-of-fame-was-her-most-radical-act/
- Ancient Monuments Destroyed in the Cradle of Civilisation — The Times — https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/turkey-earthquake-ancient-monuments-destroyed-in-cradle-of-civilisation-vwlq8cqgc
- Covid-19 Has Imperilled the Hammams of North Africa and the Levant — The Economist — https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2022/01/01/covid-19-has-imperilled-the-hammams-of-north-africa-and-the-levant
- The Women Rulers Whose Reigns Reshaped the Medieval Middle East — Smithsonian Magazine — https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-women-rulers-whose-reigns-reshaped-the-medieval-middle-east-180979473/
- The queens of the crusades — BBC History Magazine — https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/queens-crusades-women-rulers-who-jerusalem/
- Preservation of heritage sites — BBC History — https://www.historyextra.com/membership/preservation-heritage-sites-what-happens-after-a-catastrophe-war-natural-disaster/
- Also published in British Vogue and British Museum Magazine.

## Talks, video and audio

- Ep.371: 'Twilight Cities' with Katherine Pangonis — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KAoSvi9BeA
- In conversation with Genevieve Gaunt at The Ned, on A History of France in 21 Women — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDzcuE8SyAI
- Festival of History — Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWUWNOwpz_w
- Podcast: Queens of Jerusalem — Dan Snow's History Hit — https://play.acast.com/s/dansnowshistoryhit/queensofjerusalem
- Podcast: Queens of Jerusalem — New Books Network — https://newbooksnetwork.com/queens-of-jerusalem

## Speaking (past appearances)

- The British Museum, London — lectures on Queens of Jerusalem (with Professor Jonathan Philips) and Eleanor of Aquitaine's Crusade
- Jaipur Literature Festival — in conversation with Ira Mukhoty
- Cheltenham Literature Festival — Forgotten Female Titans, with Katy Hessel
- The Ned, London — in conversation with Genevieve Gaunt (A History of France in 21 Women)
- Festival of History — Twilight Cities
- Casablanca Finance City, Casablanca — An evening with historian Kate Pangonis: women who ruled across the Mediterranean, 26 March 2026 — https://casablancafinancecity.com/en/news/une-soiree-avec-lhistorienne-kate-pangonis-cfc
- Featured in / interviewed by: The Economist, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, The Spectator, Sky News, BBC History Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, British Vogue, The National (TN Magazine quick-fire interview, April 2026)
- Speaking enquiries: Irene Baldoni, Georgina Capel Associates — irene@georginacapel.com

## Timeline

- 2021 (18 February): Queens of Jerusalem published (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
- 2023 (6 July): Twilight Cities published (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
- 2024 (June): Twilight Cities wins the Somerset Maugham Award
- 2025 (29 December): Spectator essay on Brigitte Bardot
- 2026 (5 March): A History of France in 21 Women published (Oneworld Publications)
- 2026 (26 March): lecture at Casablanca Finance City
- 2026 (April): quick-fire interview in The National (TN Magazine)
- 2026 (May–July): Engelsberg Ideas essays — Shajar al-Durr, Tyre, George Sand
- 2026 (July): live commentary on Sky News following the death of Brigitte Bardot

## Topics and entities

Primary topics: Medieval Mediterranean history · The Crusades · Women's history · Middle East · Cultural heritage · History of France
Places: Kingdom of Jerusalem · Tyre · Carthage · Syracuse · Ravenna · Antioch · Venice · Paris
Historical figures written about: Melisende of Jerusalem · Sibylla of Jerusalem · Eleanor of Aquitaine · Shajar al-Durr · Joan of Arc · Christine de Pizan · George Sand · Berthe Morisot · Coco Chanel · Josephine Baker · Paulette Nardal · Brigitte Bardot
Periods and polities: Crusader States (Outremer) · Byzantine Empire · Phoenicia · Mamluk Sultanate · France, fifth century to present

## FAQ

Q: Who is Katherine Pangonis?
A: A British historian and author specialising in the medieval Mediterranean and Middle East, known for recovering the stories of women in history. She won the 2024 Somerset Maugham Award.

Q: What books has she written?
A: Queens of Jerusalem (2021), Twilight Cities (2023, Somerset Maugham Award 2024) and A History of France in 21 Women (2026).

Q: How can I invite her to speak?
A: Contact her speaking agent, Irene Baldoni at Georgina Capel Associates (irene@georginacapel.com), or use the contact form at https://www.katherinepangonis.com/contact

Q: How can I contact her directly?
A: Her personal email is not published. Use the website contact form or her representatives at Georgina Capel Associates.

## Canonical URLs

- https://www.katherinepangonis.com/
- https://www.katherinepangonis.com/about
- https://www.katherinepangonis.com/books
- https://www.katherinepangonis.com/media
- https://www.katherinepangonis.com/speaking
- https://www.katherinepangonis.com/contact

Last updated: 20 July 2026 · Maintained for Katherine Pangonis by Refmax (https://www.refmax.fr)