Juliana Berners

author

Juliana Berners

Remembered as one of the earliest named women in English letters, this 15th-century writer is closely linked with The Boke of Saint Albans, a lively handbook on hunting, hawking, and heraldry. Her story sits at the crossroads of medieval literature, country sport, and the long history of women writing in English.

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

A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle

by Juliana Berners

About the author

Often identified as a prioress of Sopwell Nunnery near St Albans, Juliana Berners is best known for her connection to The Boke of Saint Albans, first printed in 1486. The book brings together material on hawking, hunting, and heraldry, and her name has long been attached to it, especially the section on hunting.

Some details of her life remain uncertain, which is common for medieval writers. Even so, she has endured as a fascinating figure because she is among the earliest named English women associated with a substantial literary work.

What makes Berners especially memorable is the mix of subjects linked to her name: religious life on one hand, and the practical, aristocratic world of field sports on the other. That unusual combination has helped keep her place alive in literary and cultural history.