Celebrating 650th Julian of Norwich anniversary 

This year marks the 650th anniversary of the Shewings of Julian of Norwich with events in Norwich and further afield marking the occasion. 

Julian has become England’s most widely known female visionary.  In May 1373, when she was 30 years old and suffering what was believed to be a terminal illness, she experienced a series of 16 visions or ‘shewings’ which revealed aspects of the love of God. 

Following her recovery, she spent the rest of her life pondering their meaning and implications and recording her insights in writing. 

Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love, the first known book written by a woman in English, has become a spiritual classic known and loved by millions and a guide to many in the way of faith, hope and love.

She became an anchoress, living in the cell attached to the small church of St Julian off King Street in Norwich, and from that cell and that time her influence has radiated to the present day and across the world.

A modern art exhibition – Love is the Meaning – in response to Julian’s ‘shewings’ will take place in three Norwich churches this autumn as part of the celebrations. 

Organiser Lucy Care said: “Julian studied the pictures sent to her by God for over 20 years – because she wanted to understand and she believed their meaning was important.  It was a most dangerous act of faith in those years when it became illegal to read or write about God in English. 

“For lay people like Julian, teaching theology was punishable by a most hideous death of burning at the stake in nearby Lollard’s Pit.  There was no precedent for such writing in English by a woman. 

“Julian wrote the first book by a woman in English and her writing continues to surprise, baffle and delight. She thought it was worthwhile to ask God how He could possibly claim that ‘All shall be Well’ and the response was ‘Love is the Meaning’.

“And so we asked modern artists to look again at her writings and go back to the beginning, to visualise her pictures for a modern audience.  Over 40 artists from several different countries have responded.”

A special programme invites visitors to engage with the work through a Family Arts and Crafts day on October 26, during half term. There will also be exciting workshops to try new skills from pottery to foraging for colour.

The exhibition will enable a thought-provoking pilgrimage walk and exploration of the art and history of each. Special guided walks with Paul Dickson and Dr Nick Groves on some dates will introduce visitors to Medieval Norwich to help visitors explore the medieval city that Julian would have known so well.

The exhibition is over three venues, St Julian’s in Julian Alley, St John the Baptist, Timberhill and St Stephen’s, Rampant Horse Street. From October 18 to November 16, 10am – 3pm daily

For more information  contact Lucy Care at: pastongriffin@gmail.com or visit www.julianofnorwich.org

Julian lectures

Starting in August a series of lectures will explore Julian and her work. Julian Lecture Series, first Saturdays of the month, 11am
Saturday, August 5
Julian of Norwich’s Shewings: A Book That Nearly Failed - Dr Juliana Dresvina, History Faculty, University of Oxford.
At St Julian’s Church live stream.
This talk suggests looking at Julian’s project as somewhat of a failure in her day, yet something that became more resonant with the early modern audience.
Saturday, September 2
When Margery Met Julian: Writing Visionary Women back into History - Mary Sharratt, author. Streamed live on Zoom.
Julian of Norwich and her contemporary Margery Kempe were mystics and literary pioneers who were nearly erased from history. Their iconic books languished in obscurity for centuries and only resurfaced in the twentieth century.
Saturday, October 7
Feminism, Scholarship & Medieval Women’s Writing - Dr Sarah Salih, Reader in Medieval English, King’s College London.
At St Julian’s Church and live streamed. 
Julian of Norwich, included in her early Short Text a rousing, proto-feminist defence of her right to speak; yet omitted the passage from the revised Long Text. The relevance of feminist readings of a woman writer who wrote of the motherhood of God is self-evident.

Julian concert

A Marvellous Melody of Endless Love - a concert by the Julian Players
Sunday October 29, 1pm
Venue: Music Room, Assembly House, Theatre Street, NR2 1RQ, Norwich
Includes Biber, Bach, Brahms and more, with violin, piano, mandolin, soprano.

Pictured top is Holy Mother Wisdom by Caroline Mackenzie.