Stephen Owen
I have an enduring interest in history, the arts, mythology and rugby union and these increasingly have become my areas of expertise over the years. I am currently researching early Roman Britain, specifically the period 43-61, encompassing the Roman campaign in modern day Wales, the significance of the Druids and the causes and course itself of the revolt of Queen Boudicca and the Iceni against Rome during 60-61 AD. With this in mind, I am well placed to write features about this period, and Roman Britain in general, as well as the perspective of the ancient British, their beliefs and their mythology. I have researched at length the significance of the Druids in ancient Celtic society, the many gods and goddesses worshipped by the Celts, and the rivalry between Roman imperialism and Druidism in the ancient world. I am actually beginning a novel which takes as its focus the revolt of the Iceni against Rome and the clash between Rome and the Druids, with a view to publication in the longer term. I specialise in linking historical biography with myth and legend, namely short biographies of such figures as Dick Turpin who although he was an historic personality, has developed a completely different image in folklore. My historical and artistic interests merge in biographies of such figures as the Marquis de Sade, who perhaps is one of the most controversial writers of the modern age, and Nikolaus Pevsner, the architectural and art historian who masterminded the epic Buildings of England. My involvement with the Sealed Knot, the historical reenactment society of the Englsih Civil War, gives me a sense of authenticity when writing about another of my areas of specialist interest, the British Civil Wars and Monmouth Rebellion. I have a strong interest in rugby union and have written at length about Bath Rugby, my local premiership club based in Bath, England which dominated the amateur era but has struggled in the professional era. Two feature articles were published in the Bath Chronicle, a local newspaper with wide coverage.
Latest Articles
|
Elizabeth Rowe
Elizabeth Rowe became a poet when it was not fashionable for English women to do so. Who was this woman who befriended the Thynnes of Longleat and the poet John Boyle
Feb 2, 2008
- Stephen Owen
|
|
The North Berwick Witches
Witch hunts swept across Scotland and Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries. The most notorious trial was that of the North Berwick Witches.
Feb 1, 2008
- Stephen Owen
|
|
The Buildings of England
The Buildings of England is still a landmark work of English architecture. The author was Nikolaus Pevsner, the eminent architectural historian whose ideas endure.
Jan 31, 2008
- Stephen Owen
|
|
Architect Critic Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Pevsner was one of the great architectural critics of the twentieth century, a leader in his field who revolutionised ideas of building design.
Jan 29, 2008
- Stephen Owen
|
|
Robin Hood, Outlaw and Myth
Robin Hood is one of the great figures of British folklore . Did such a man ever live, the most famous outlaw of medieval England. Or was he a myth of a pagan past
Jan 22, 2008
- Stephen Owen
|
|
Dick Turpin, Highwayman and Legend
Dick Turpin was the most famous highwayman of eighteenth century England. Who was the man behind the myth? Was he the romantic hero of legend or a ruthless outlaw?
Jan 13, 2008
- Stephen Owen
|
