Michael Smith is a British translator and linocut illustrator of Middle English alliterative romances. We will be celebrating the October publication of his new illustrated translation of the fourteenth century poem The Romance of William and the Werewolf (Unbound). This the third in his series of illustrated translations of Middle English alliterative romances, after Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Alliterative Morte Arthure.

As well as reading passages from his new book, Michael will also entertain us with short readings in Middle English (and even Old French) to give us a flavour of how our ancestors enjoyed poetry nearly 700 years ago.

Born in Warrington, Cheshire, Michael is currently studying for his PhD at the University of York, where he is conducting research into the translation, performance and effective modern representation of late medieval Middle English stanzaic poetry. He lives in Ware.