Juliana Berners

author

Juliana Berners

Often remembered as one of the earliest women linked to English sporting writing, she is traditionally credited with works on hunting, hawking, and fishing. Her name is especially tied to The Boke of St. Albans, a landmark early printed book from the late 15th century.

2 Audiobooks

The boke of Saint Albans : containing treatises on hawking, hunting, and cote armour

The boke of Saint Albans : containing treatises on hawking, hunting, and cote armour

by Juliana Berners

A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle Being a facsimile reproduction of the first book on the subject of fishing printed in England by Wynkyn de Worde at Westminster in 1496

A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle Being a facsimile reproduction of the first book on the subject of fishing printed in England by Wynkyn de Worde at Westminster in 1496

by Juliana Berners

About the author

Juliana Berners was an English writer associated with the 15th century, though many details of her life remain uncertain. She is often described as a Benedictine nun or prioress of Sopwell near St Albans, and her name also appears in several forms, including Barnes and Bernes.

She is traditionally connected with The Boke of St. Albans (1486), an early printed collection on heraldry, hawking, and hunting. Later tradition also links her to an angling treatise added in a 1496 edition, which helped make her an important figure in the early history of writing about field sports.

Part of her lasting interest comes from that mix of fame and mystery: she stands near the beginning of English print culture, yet scholars still debate exactly which works she wrote herself. Even so, she remains a memorable figure in literary and sporting history because her name has long been attached to some of the earliest English books on these subjects.