Just a quick look at the historical fiction section of any bookstore shows how fascinated we still are with the Tudor dynasty. Authors like Philippa Gregory, Ken Follet, and Hilary Mantel continue to be some of the most popular in the historical fiction genre. Beyond the book world, the Tudors continue to rule the stage with Six on Broadway and the West End, and screen, with continual film and TV depictions of the Tudors and Stuarts. In fiction, there’s plenty of choice in genre, from romance to espionage, to satire. Pick any Tudor or a member of their court, and there’s sure to be at least one novel written about them. As of now, Tudor fiction remains a very white arena. In regards to nonfiction, however, there are authors of color writing about the Tudors and the time period. Ania Loomba’s Shakespeare, Race, and Colonialism offers an accessible approach to analyzing Shakespeare’s works through historical context. In Onyeka’s Blackamoores, Onyeka challenges the current perception of Black Africans in Tudor England by offering an examination of their lives, status, culture, and more. Dust off your favorite doublet or court gown and let’s go! It’s time to read up on those Tudors!
