Jerry Brotton is a British historian. He is Professor of

Renaissance Studies Renaissance studies (also ''Renaissance and Early Modern Studies'') is the interdisciplinary study of the Renaissance and early modern period. The field of study often incorporates knowledge from history, art history, literature, music, architectur ...

Queen Mary University of London , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

, a television and radio presenter and a

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

. Brotton writes about literature, history, material culture, trade, and east-west relations, particularly in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He employs interdisciplinary approaches, looking at art, politics, history, travel writing and literature. His book '' A History of the World in Twelve Maps'' (Allen Lane, 2012) has been translated into twelve languages. It was accompanied by a three-part series on

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

, ''Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession''. His ''The Sale of the Late King's Goods: Charles I and His Art Collection'' (Macmillan, 2006) was nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize (now the

Baillie Gifford Prize The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, formerly the Samuel Johnson Prize, is an annual British book prize for the best non-fiction writing in the English language. It was founded in 1999 following the demise of the NCR Book Award. With its m ...

). It wryly proposes that the dispersal of

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

's art collection in 1649 was a democratic move, one that merits imitation in the contemporary world. His 2016 book ''This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World'' (London: Allen Lane, 2016) was serialised on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

and won the Historical Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown (2017). Brotton collaborated as a curator and commentator with the artist and director of

Factum Arte Factum Arte is an art conservation company based in Madrid, Milan, and London. Its commercial activity involves assisting contemporary artists to create technically difficult and innovative works of art. It also seeks to promote the use of non-con ...

, Adam Lowe, in the exhibit ''Penelope’s Labour: Weaving Words and Images'', at the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

in 2011, and in 2019 he and map librarian Nick Millea co-curated the exhibition ''Talking Maps'' at the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. Brotton has written and presented various radio programmes for

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

, BBC Radio 4 and the

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...

on historical subjects including

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, the history of the

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

, and

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

. He appears regularly on TV programmes and reviews for a variety of newspapers, magazines and journals.

Notable works

*''The Renaissance Bazaar: From the Silk Road to Michelangelo'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. ) *''The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. ) *''The Sale of the Late King's Goods: Charles I and his Art Collection'' (London: Pan Macmillan, 2006. ) *'' A History of the World in Twelve Maps'' (London: Allen Lane, 2012. ) *''Great Maps: The World's Masterpieces Explored and Explained'' (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2014. *''This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World'' (London: Allen Lane, 2016. ) *''The Sultan and the Queen: The Untold Story of Elizabeth and Islam'' (London: Viking, 2018. ) *''Trading Territories: Mapping the Early Modern World'' (London: Reaktion Books, 2018. ) *(co-author with Nick Millea) ''Talking Maps'' (Oxford: The Bodleian Library, 2019.

References

External links

*http://www.sed.qmul.ac.uk/staff/brottonj.html *https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/jerry-brotton *https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/jerry-brotton/33061/ *http://www.factum-arte.com/pag/283/Penelope-apos-s-Labour---Weaving-Words-and-Images {{DEFAULTSORT:Brotton, Jerry Academics of Queen Mary University of London 21st-century British historians Historians of the Renaissance BBC radio presenters BBC television presenters Living people Year of birth missing (living people)