Join us in an online group read of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy

Starting on January 1st 2024, Wolf Hall Weekend will be joining an online group read of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall Trilogy starting with Wolf Hall and following a leisurely and indulgent pace of around forty pages a week.

The group is run by Simon Haisell, a writer and the host of Footnotes and Tangents, an online newsletter, community and book group with over 3,000 subscribers.

We spoke to Simon recently about this year long project:

‘I’m so excited to be attending the Wolf Hall Weekend in June 2024 and this morning I finished Wolf Hall for the fourth time. It is an extraordinary book: a writer at the height of her abilities, laying out a story rich in meaning, ideas and feeling. More than most books I have read, it is eerily alive. It does something on the page that is comparable only to magic. So let’s read Wolf Hall together, whether for the first or tenth time, and its two sequels, together in 2024.

On the socials, we’re calling it #WolfCrawl because everyone loves a bad pun.

And here are some Frequently Asked Questions to help us on our way:

1. Why read Wolf Hall?

Let’s get the glittering prizes out of the way first. Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies both won the Booker Prize, and the final installment, The Mirror and The Light, made it onto the longlist in 2020. In 2019, The Guardian compiled a list of the best 100 books of the 21st Century so far. Wolf Hall took the top spot.

2. Who was Thomas Cromwell?

Not to be confused with his distant descendant Oliver Cromwell. Thomas was born in 1485, a common brewer’s son of Putney, then a village on the outskirts of London. He made himself useful, and rose in the service of Cardinal Wolsey to become Henry VIII’s chief minister in the 1530s. On 28 July 1540, he was beheaded for treason.

Cromwell was one of the main architects of the English Reformation. History has not been kind to him, primarily because of his role in bringing to the scaffold Thomas More and Anne Boleyn.

3. Do I need to know the history first?

No. OK, let me rephrase that. Any background knowledge of English and Tudor history is going to help. I studied this period at school and have been fascinated with the 1530s ever since.

But Wolf Hall is about people – characters – more than historical events. You’ll learn a lot of history reading it, but don’t be scared about going into it knowing nothing. As your host, I’ll be here all the way through with additional notes and resources so you should never feel lost.

4. Is it hard to read?

The style of writing in Wolf Hall can take some getting used to. The book is written entirely from Thomas Cromwell’s point of view. But he is rarely named and is mostly referred to only as “he”. Of course, he’s not the only man in the book, and it can be occasionally difficult to determine which “he” is being referred to. This is why we get the clarification “He, Cromwell” at various points in the text. But if in doubt: he is usually Cromwell.. I’ll say that this peculiar device is part of the genius of this book. If it were written in any other way, the effect would be significantly different. And once your ear has adapted to Mantel’s style, you’ll be flying.

5. How do I keep track of all the characters?

Famously, Wolf Hall contains a lot of characters called Thomas. And that’s just the start: there are dozens of characters moving through this trilogy. Almost all are real historical people.

In my weekly updates, I will give you a list of the characters mentioned that week and clarify who they are and their story so far. There will be paintings and images to bring these people to life, and links for you to find out more.

6. What is a read along?

Ah, you’ve reached the fun bit! We can call it a book club, book group or reading group. I don’t mind. The basics are the same:

We are going to read the Cromwell trilogy throughout 2024. Each week, I will send you a newsletter with a recap, character list, resources and further discussion. I will follow this up with a discussion thread or chat thread on the substack website and app, where you can share your thoughts and ask questions.

7. When does it start?

Monday 1 January 2024: We start Wolf Hall
Monday 29 April 2024: We start Bring Up The Bodies
Monday 22 July 2024: We start The Mirror and The Light

I will let you know the exact readings for each week nearer the time.

8. How much reading is there each week?

We have 2,007 pages ahead of us. On average, that is 38 pages a week. This varies between around 20 and 50 pages depending on the week. Mantel writes long chapters, so I’ve had to make some editorial decisions about how to divide things up.

9. Can I read at my own pace?

Of course! This isn’t school, and there are no rules. If you want to race ahead or saunter behind, if life gets in the way, or your curiosity gets the better of you, do what works for you. My posts and our discussion will always be here for you when you want them. All I desire is that you enjoy reading and get the most from the experience.

10. How do I join?

Make sure you are subscribed to Footnotes and Tangents for all the updates and discussion.

Then turn on notifications for the Cromwell Trilogy newsletter on the manage subscription page. This is turned off by default:

I hope to meet many of the members of this group read along at the Wolf Hall Weekend in June 2024.

Simon Haisell 

Dec 2023

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11. Is it free?

Ah, the $64 million question! Well, actually, the £35 question, which is what an annual subscription to Footnotes and Tangents costs.

But seriously, yes, the newsletter is free, the discussion threads are free, and reading is free (yay, libraries!).

However, each week there will be bonus notes for paying subscribers. A lot of time and thought goes into running this read along, so if you do value this resource and can afford it.

12. That’s it. Any further questions?

It’s going to be a fabulous experience and a wonderful adventure in reading, literature and history.