A thrilling retelling of the Peasants' Revolt from the author of 'The Manningtree Witches'.

Please join us on Wednesday 21st October when we celebrate the launch of A. K. Blakemore hotly-anticipated new novel Doom Painting.

It is 1381. England, reeling from plague and years of conflict abroad, is a tinderbox waiting to spark.

Two childhood friends ride into the town of Brentwood, Essex, where they come upon an altercation with a local Justice bent on squeezing more coin from the masses. Thus begins a rebellion of the common folk — loyal to the king, but not to those wealthy landowners who curtail their freedoms; the multitude finding cause against the powers that threaten their livelihoods.

Set over sixteen days, Doom Painting roves across England as the revolt grows and swells and the rebels march to London to take their demands to the child-king Richard II. Out of the rebellion emerges its enigmatic and charismatic leader Wat Tyler, an opportunistic and mercurial rogue whose morality is birthed by the cause, and who shapes an identity for the English which has never been lost...

We're very chuffed about this event, as Blakemore is absolutely one of our favourite living writers (say all the booksellers of The Book Hive in unison). She will be in conversation with Joe Williams, British Academy Early Career Fellow based in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at UEA.

A. K. Blakemore: Doom Painting

Wednesday 21st October 2026

The Book Hive, Norwich

Doors 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start

FREE

Description supplied by the event organiser.