A 'spectacular' 13-city tour announced for Beard's Emperor of Rome

Mary Beard will launch Emperor of Rome (Profile) with a 13-city and 16-event tour beginning in London’s Barbican centre on 23rd September 2023. 

Beard’s account of the role of the Roman Emperor, and those who held the position, is being positioned as her biggest book since SPQR, a history of Ancient Rome. At the first event, managed by Fane, held at London’s Barbican, Beard will be in conversation with David Olusoga. In Brighton, Beard will be joined by Michael Scott and in Cambridge with Janina Ramirez, author of Femina (W H Allen). Beard will also visit Edinburgh and St Andrews.

There will be events at Bath and a Guardian Live event in Manchester with Charlotte Higgens. The Cliveden, Sheffield, and Cheltenham festivals are hosting events as well as the New Writing North festival in Newcastle. Beard will also make an appearance at the Dublin Festival of History via a virtual event. Sevenoaks Bookshop will also host an "in conversation" event with Beard’s editor at Profile, Andrew Franklin. Franklin commented: "Julius Caesar claimed to have conquered the UK. Veni Vidi Vici he said (if he did). Mary will conquer not just the UK, but the whole Roman Empire and beyond without legionnaires, generals or camp followers. With, however, a spectacular – but never bloody – campaign. All hail Mary Beard!"

A joint event with Tom Holland, at an unconfirmed venue, will mark the end of the tour on 12th December.

Waterstones Piccadilly will host Beard’s first London signing on publication day (28th September) and will feature a stunt with two "live Roman emperors" and pavement graffiti. 

Beard said: "The backwater province of Britannia saw quite a few Roman emperors two thousand years ago… Claudius came to conquer with some elephants, Hadrian visited when his wall was being built, and Septimius Severus (the first African emperor) died here. I’m looking forward to taking them on tour again... talking about everything from power, corruption and banquets to jokes, deadly rose petals and the slaves and servants who made the emperor’s lifestyle possible."