Magic City Books is proud to welcome Rilla Askew for a special Sunday afternoon author program celebrating her new book, Prize for the Fire, on Sunday October 23 at 1:00 pm in the Algonquin Room at Magic City Books.
Prize for the Fire is a rich evocation of Reformation England, from the fenlands of Lincolnshire to the teeming religious underground of London to the court of Henry VIII, this gripping tale of defiance is as pertinent today as it was in the sixteenth century. While skillfully portraying a significant historical figure–one of the first female writers known to have composed in the English language– Prize for the Fire renders the inner life of Anne Askew with a depth and immediacy that transcends time.
This free event will be moderated by Oklahoma author Constance Squires, author of Along the Watchtower, Live from Medicine Park, and Hit Your Brights: Stories.
Prize for the Fire will be published on October 20 by University of Oklahoma Press. You can pre-order a copy at Magic City Books or order online at: https://magiccitybooks.square.site/product/prize-for-the-fire/841. Pre-ordered copies will be signed by Rilla Askew and shipped out starting Monday October 24.
About Prize for the Fire
Lincolnshire, 1537. Amid England’s religious turmoil, fifteen-year-old Anne Askew is forced to take her dead sister’s place in an arranged marriage. The witty, well-educated gentleman’s daughter is determined to free herself from her abusive husband, harsh in-laws, and the cruel strictures of her married life. But this is the England of Henry VIII, where religion and politics are dangerously entangled. A young woman of Anne’s fierce independence, Reformist faith, uncanny command of plainspoken scripture, and–not least–connections to Queen Katheryn Parr’s court cannot long escape official notice, or censure.
In a deft blend of history and imagination, award-winning novelist Rilla Askew brings to life a young woman who defied the conventions of her time, ultimately braving torture and the fire of martyrdom for her convictions. A rich evocation of Reformation England, from the fenlands of Lincolnshire to the teeming religious underground of London to the court of Henry VIII, this gripping tale of defiance is as pertinent today as it was in the sixteenth century.
While skillfully portraying a significant historical figure–one of the first female writers known to have composed in the English language– Prize for the Fire renders the inner life of Anne Askew with a depth and immediacy that transcends time.
Rilla Askew is the author of five novels, a book of stories, and a collection of creative nonfiction, Most American: Notes from a Wounded Place. She’s a PEN/Faulkner finalist and recipient of the American Book Award and the Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her essays and short stories have appeared in AGNI, Tin House, World Literature Today, Nimrod, Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards, and elsewhere. Askew’s novel Prize for the Fire, about sixteenth century English martyr Anne Askew, will be released October 20.
Learn more here.
