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Italian edition of Imperfect Alchemist available now!
For fans of IMPERFECT ALCHEMIST, I’m happy to announce the forthcoming publication on September 13 of the first Italian edition in translation: L’ALCHIMISTA IMPERFETTA!
Mary Wroth’s play, Love’s Victory, to be performed live at Penshurst Place this fall
I’m thrilled to share the news that Mary Wroth’s play, Love’s Victory, will be performed live at Penshurst Place this fall, at the conference on “The Sidneys of Penshurst and Beyond,” where I’ll be reading from Imperfect Alchemist as well as my novel about Mary Wroth, STRANGE LABYRINTH. The Sidneys
Upcoming conference at Penshurst Place focuses attention on Sidney-Herbert family
I’m excited to share the news of an upcoming conference at Penshurst Place that focuses attention on Mary Wroth, England’s first female fiction writer, as well as Mary Sidney Herbert and other members of the Sidney-Herbert family. The Sidneys of Penshurst and Beyond: Contexts, Connections, Collaborations 27-28 September 2022 Proposals
Mary Wroth, Urania, and STRANGE LABYRINTH
Mary Wroth’s prose romance, Urania, created such a scandal when she published it in 1621 that she was labelled a “hermaphrodite” by fellow courtiers (for daring to write love poetry and romance tales as a woman), and her book was forcibly withdrawn from publication. The first modern edition (pictured here)
News about Naomi’s newest novel
I’m happy to share that, after a six-month hiatus from social media, I’ve completed revisions of a draft of my newest novel, now titled STRANGE LABYRINTH: A NOVEL OF MARY SIDNEY WROTH, which will be the sequel to my debut novel, Imperfect Alchemist (Allison & Busby Books 2020). England’s first
Naomi Miller discusses the composition of STRANGE LABYRINTH, the sequel to Imperfect Alchemist
In the article below, originally printed in the Sidney Journal, Naomi Miller discusses the composition of STRANGE LABYRINTH, the sequel to Imperfect Alchemist, which tells the story of Lady Mary Wroth, an inventive novelist, poet and playwright in Renaissance England. Download the article as a PDF here. * * *
“Authorizing Early Modern European Women” available December 6!
I’m thrilled to announce the publication of a new book of essays about early modern women in biofiction, “Authorizing Early Modern European Women: From Biography to Biofiction,” coedited by myself, Jim Fitzmaurice, and Sara Jayne Steen – coming out on Dec. 6 from Amsterdam University Press! The essays in this
Celebrating the one year anniversary of Imperfect Alchemist
As we approach the winter solstice, I welcome the opportunity to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the publication of Imperfect Alchemist (20 November, 2021) followed by the paperback release last summer (17 June 2021) – with these photos marking the turn of the seasons. I’m happy to report that I’m
Biofiction as Alchemy: Writing Imperfect Alchemist
Watch Naomi Miller’s talk “Biofiction as Alchemy: Writing Imperfect Alchemist” at Imperial College London. The Q&A following the talk covers some particularly interesting ground!
Imperfect Alchemist longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award 2021
Imperfect Alchemist by Naomi Miller has been selected by the Historical Writers’ Association 2021 Debut Crown Award longlist! The 2021 Crown Awards (Debut, Gold and Non-Fiction) are for full-length books published for the first time in English in the UK between 1 April 2020 – 31st March 2021. For fiction,
Watch Naomi Miller’s talk at Smith College’s Faculty Showcase, “Changing the Canon Through Historical Fiction”
Professor Miller’s course on “Shakespeare’s Sisters” focuses on Renaissance women writers who were long excluded from the literary canon. Her talk shares how the course inspired her to change the canon outside the classroom in her own series of historical novels, to introduce these extraordinary women to a wider public.
Reviews from the Imperfect Alchemist Bookstagram Tour
The Imperfect Alchemist Bookstagram Tour recently wrapped up! Here’s what reviewers had to say: whatalicereads A richly detailed, complex historical fiction about women, creativity & ambition. I felt completely immersed in the setting of the Tudor period. The writing was absolutely gorgeous and with excellent characterization – this was a
Hear Naomi Miller on the Women and Shakespeare Podcast!
In this episode, we discuss Professor Naomi Miller’s novel, Imperfect Alchemist, which revolves around Mary Sidney Herbert and her bond with a maidservant and artist Rose. Interviewer: Dr Varsha Panjwani Guest: Professor Naomi Miller Producer: Mr Zeke Tweedie Artwork: Mr Wenqi Wan Listen here.
Salon Conversation with Natalie Byfield and Naomi Miller about Employing New Lenses Across Disciplines – Princeton 40th Reunion
Becoming a novelist to write Imperfect Alchemist after 30 years as a scholar offered Naomi Miller a new lens on her lifetime research subject: Renaissance women authors. Natalie Byfield reframed her research on the social construction of race in the U.S. in her study of the Central Park Jogger case
Imperfect Alchemist chosen for WFWA’s Inspirational and Impactful Reads for Women’s History Month
We’re excited to share today that Imperfect Alchemist was selected for Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s (WFWA) curated list of Inspirational and Impactful Reads for Women’s History Month. This month’s Historical Fiction list highlights books that feature the courage and resilience of women. We’re honored to be included among the other amazing
Shakespeare’s Sisters: A Faculty Journey from Classroom to Novel By Naomi Miller
The Acknowledgements section of my debut novel, Imperfect Alchemist (Allison & Busby 2020), opens with these words: With my students at Smith College, who have journeyed alongside me in exploring the works produced by Shakespeare’s Sisters—the early modern women authors whose voices were first heard by Shakespeare and his contemporaries—I
The Imperfect Alchemist audiobook is available now!
The Imperfect Alchemist audiobook is available for U.K. listeners on Audible, Storytel, Bookbeat, Apple & Google Books. CDs available for purchase on The Reading House website. Listen to an excerpt below:
Watch Naomi Miller’s talk at the Harvard seminar on Women, Culture & Gender in the Early Modern World
It was exciting to meet readers in person (via Zoom) at my recent book talk about Imperfect Alchemist at the Harvard seminar on Women, Culture & Gender in the Early Modern World. You can watch the talk at this link. Access Passcode: Alchemist21! (the exclamation mark is part of the
Folger Shakespeare Library’s Shakespeare Unlimited podcast interview about Imperfect Alchemist
I’m thrilled to invite all Shakespeare and historical fiction fans to catch the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Shakespeare Unlimited podcast interview with me about Imperfect Alchemist: https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited/mary-sidney-imperfect-alchemist-miller
Imperfect Alchemist: Writing Women’s Voices
Many popular novels about Renaissance women picture them in relation to powerful men. One need look no further than the steady stream of novels about the wives of Henry VIII, perpetuating a phenomenon that I have named the “Noah’s ark approach,” which positions women in dependent relation to famous men.
Naomi Miller ’81 Reimagines Life of Literary Trailblazer Mary Sidney
The book: A novel set in 16th-century England, Imperfect Alchemist (Allison & Busby) by Naomi Miller ’81 reimagines the life of Mary Sidney, one of Shakespeare’s literary contemporaries, and her maid, Rose Commin. From vastly different social backgrounds, they share a drive to make their own way in the world.
Six Reviews from the Imperfect Alchemist Blog Tour
The Imperfect Alchemist Blog Tour recently wrapped up! Here’s what reviewers had to say: Day One – Madeleine of ramblingmads An incredibly engaging and intelligent book. Naomi Miller adds flesh to the bones of Mary’s life, illuminating this fascinating woman and bringing her brilliantly to life. Read the full review Day Two
Introducing Naomi Miller
Naomi Miller is descended on her mother’s side from a shogun in the Tokugawa period and on her father’s side from Dutch-English settlers who arrived in America at the time of the Mayflower. An award-winner author of books about Renaissance women, she is a professor of English and the Study of
An interview with Naomi Miller, author of Imperfect Alchemist
Interview and Review by Jo of JaffaReadsToo Two women. One bond that will unite them across years and social divides. England, 1575. Mary Sidney, who will go on to claim a spot at the heart of Elizabethan court life and culture, is a fourteen-year-old navigating grief and her first awareness
Imagining Mary: An Author’s Journey
Many popular novels about Renaissance women picture them in relation to powerful men. One need look no further than the steady stream of novels about the wives of Henry VIII, perpetuating a phenomenon that I have named the “Noah’s ark approach,” which positions women in dependent relation to famous men.
