Margery Kempe

Margery Kempe (c. 1373–c. 1438) was an English Christian mystic whose autobiography, The Book of Margery Kempe, is considered the first autobiography written in English. Kempe was a wife, mother of fourteen children, businesswoman, and pilgrim whose vivid spiritual experiences and outspoken religious devotion made her a controversial figure in her own time. The Book of Margery Kempe describes her spiritual journey, her pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Rome, her encounters with religious authorities, and her intense mystical visions and experiences of divine love. The book is remarkable for its vivid, personal voice and its unflinching portrayal of a medieval woman's inner life. The audiobook and book versions bring this extraordinary medieval text to modern listeners and readers. Kempe's work is essential for anyone interested in medieval history, women's writing, mysticism, or the origins of autobiography as a literary form.