The Exploress
Episodes
Empress Börte and Life for Women in the Mongol Empire
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Genghis (or Chinggis) Khan is pretty famous for building the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen. But he couldn't have done it with...
Giving Cleopatra Voice with Natasha Solomons
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Exploress Book Club, Natasha Solomons and I explore her new book I Am Cleopatra and the complexities of bringing Cleopatra's ch...
Empress Cleopatra of Ancient Egypt
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this series, we're time traveling back to past empires to meet some of the woman who ran them. This time, we're revisiting a ruling lady we've met ...
Empress Theodora & Life for Women in the Byzantine Empire
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this series, we're time traveling back to past empires to meet some of the woman who helped run them. Let's link up with Empress Theodora, who's go...
Empress Taytu Betul & Life for Women in 19th-century Ethiopia
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this series, we're time traveling back to past empires to meet some of the woman who helped run them. Allow me to introduce you to Empress Taytu Be...
Women Who Ruled the World with Elizabeth Norton
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Elizabeth Norton has returned! This time, she's taking us out of the Tudor period to take a more global look at queenship. Her new book 'When Wome...
The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is a woman in the Old Quarter who can give you the world for a price. They say her followers gather deep in the bayou after dark. Some say she's...
Women's Medicine in the 19th Century (with a side of spice) with Adriana Herrera
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 13. Welcome back to Exploress Book Club! Join me and Adriana Herrera, author of the historical romance novel A Tropical Rebel Gets ...
Empress Nur Jahan & Life for Women in Mughal India
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 12. In this series, we're time traveling with three different empresses, exploring their reigns, their worlds, and what it might hav...
Empress Trailer
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EMPRESS. The word comes from Old French, but its roots stretch back to the Latin imperium. It means a command; it means authority, it means power over...
Heroines of the Harlem Renaissance with Victoria Christopher Murray
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 11. Welcome back to Exploress Book Club! Join me in talking to Victoria Christopher Murray, author of the historical fiction novel ...
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 5: Shield Maidens and Sorceresses
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 10. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're exploring one of ...
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 4: Weavers, Traders, Raiders, and Slaves
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 9. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're going to talk abou...
Lesbian Fashion History with Eleanor Medhurst
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 8. Happy Pride Month! Join me and Eleanor Medhurst to discuss her book 'Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion,' which explores t...
The Wild Times of Julie D'Aubigny
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 7. If you were living in Paris in the late 1600s and happened to pick up a newspaper, you might have read about the latest exploits...
Ladies Who Sleuth in Regency England with Alison Goodman
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 6. Welcome to Exploress Book Club! Join me in talking to Alison Goodman, author of The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, as...
1,001 Nights with Al-Khayzuran
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 5. One Thousand and One Nights – the famed collection of stories in which the vizier's daughter, Scheherazade, agrees to wed a par...
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 3: The Daily Grind
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 4. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're going to spend a d...
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 2: Relationships, Marriage, and Power
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 3. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're going to find out ...
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 1: Finding the Norse
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 2. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. Let's start by talking about our sources:...
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age: The Goddess Freyja
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 1. In this series, we're going to explore what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. But first, let's meet Freyja, a po...
Love and War in Ancient Rome with Jenny Williamson
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 6, Episode 1 - It's Exploress Book Club time! Join me for this excellent chat with Jenny Williamson, one half of the podcast Ancient History ...
Re-Release: Spiritualists & Mediums of 19th-Century America
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 15. Hey listener! I'm currently on maternity leave, but to get us in the Halloween spirit, I'm re-releasing my first ever Halloween ...
Re-Release: The History of Witch Hunts in Scotland and England
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 14. Down, down, the Witches' Road... I'm currently off on maternity leave, but to get you in the mood for the spooky season I'm re-r...
Forty Elephants: The All-Female Crime Gang of 1920s London
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 13. Hey listener! I'm currently off on maternity leave, but I've decided to pull some special bonus episodes out of the Patreon vaul...
Lady Pirates and Queen Elizabeth I's Golden Age of Piracy
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 12. Today we'll learn how Queen Elizabeth I strategically defeated the Invincible Spanish Armada by allowing famous pirates like Sir...
Announcement!
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
...see you on the other side, my friends. Have you ever thought about becoming a patron? They get all episodes early and ad-free, voting rights on con...
The FYREBIRDS Audiobook
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm thrilled to bring you this extra-long audio sample of the FYREBIRDS audiobook: the Prologue and Chapter 1, narrated by the amazing Saskia Maarleve...
Writing Magical Women and the Belle Epoque with author Ryan Graudin
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 11. Guess what? My second novel, FYREBIRDS, hits shelves TODAY. How exciting! I'm celebrating by inviting one of my favorite authors...
NIGHTBIRDS: Let's Talk Spoilers
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's FYREBIRDS month on The Exploress! To celebrate the release of my second novel, and the conclusion of the NIGHTBIRDS series, I'm sharing an episod...
FYREBIRDS and the Women of 1920s Prohibition, Revisited
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 9. It's FYREBIRDS month on The Exploress! I'm celebrating the release of my second novel, and the conclusion of the NIGHTBIRDS serie...
Crude, Rude, and Setting the Mood: An Interview with Therese O'Neill
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 8. It's interview time! Let's spend some time with the delightful Therese Oneill, author of such nonfiction gems as Unmentionable: ...
The History of the Bikini
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 7. Today we'll be tracing the history of women's bathing suits from the 1700s to the 1960s. We'll look at how swimwear fashion evolv...
A Lady's Life in Tokugawa Japan, 4: Off to Battle with Samurai Warrior Women
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 6. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the la...
A Lady's Life in Tokugawa Japan, Part 3: Fashion & Fun with the Glamorous Geisha
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 5. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the la...
A Lady's Life in Tokugawa Japan, Part 2: Home, Duty, Marriage, and Tea
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 4. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the la...
A Lady's Life in Tokugawa Japan, Part 1: Welcome to the Edo Era
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 3. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the la...
The Crusader Queens, Part 2
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 2. Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel ...
The Crusader Queens, Part 1
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 5, Episode 1. Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel ...
Queens with Swords: Teuta, Amanirenas, and Mavia (Mawiyya)
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's something stirring about a warrior woman: one who refuses to bow down to the forces against her, no matter how vast they may be. And when they...
The Black Female Entertainers of the 1920s
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 16. In this last episode of Season 4, we're going to find out more about the Black female entertainers who lit up the stages of 1920...
The Female Movie Stars of 1920s Hollywood
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 15. Mary Pickford. Clara Bow. Gloria Swanson. Joan Crawford. Greta Garbo. Let's travel back in time to learn more about the legendar...
America's Fight for Women's Rights: Interview with Elizabeth Cobbs
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 14. Join us for an interview with Professor Elizabeth Cobbs, the author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to B...
A Lady's Life in the 1920s, Part 4: A Friday Night
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 13. Last time, we found out what stay-at-home wife life was like in the 1920s. Now we're going to go out on the town. Let's explore ...
The Lady Killers of 1920s Chicago
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 12. Settle in for a tale of passion, jealousy, corruption, and the lady killers who entranced 1920s America. Grab your gun, your bes...
Writing the Women of Pompeii: Elodie Harper Interview, Part 2
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Remember back in 2021 when the amazing Elodie Harper told us all about the sex workers of ancient Rome, and also her novel The Wolf Den? She's back to...
Giulia Tofana, Italy's Poison Queen
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I hope you enjoy this spooky minisode bonus from the dark days of 2020! Let's meet one of history's most prolific female poisoners. You can now buy my...
A Lady's Life in the 1920s, Part 3: A Thursday at Home
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 11. Last time, we headed to the office as 1920s working women; now let's give the stay-at-home wife life a spin. Grab your brand new...
A Lady's Life in the 1920s, Part 2: A Wednesday at Work
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 10. It's time to grab our sensible heels and head to the office to find out about a woman's work in the 1920s. Let's find out about ...
A Lady's Life in the 1920s, Part 1: A Summer Saturday
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 9. Rise and shine! It's time to get up and start our day in the life of a 1920s American gal. Let's find out some things about life ...
Unsinkable: The Women Aboard the Titanic
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, let's revisit the tragic story the Titanic, but focus on the women aboard. Who were they? What was it like, to ride on this inf...
Celebrating Women of Myth with Ancient History Fangirl
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 8. Season 4 is taking an intermission for the moment; I hope to have us traveling back to the 1920s soon. Until then, I've got somet...
Writing Black Women Back into History: Interview with Krystal Marquis
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 7. In this episode, we're jumping back to 1910s Chicago, which is the setting for my friend Krystal Marquis's New York Times and Ind...
The Women of the 1920s Who Defied Prohibition
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 6. The 1920s was the decade of speakeasies, gin joints, illicit nightclubs, and cabarets. Today we'll meet the many women brewing th...
The Women of the 1920s Who Supported Prohibition
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 5. Women were a big reason why the prohibition of alcohol became a constitutional amendment in 1920s America. Today we'll learn abou...
Writing 1920s-Inspired Historical Fiction with Lyssa Mia Smith
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 5. Join me for a fun-filled interview with my friend and fellow debut author, Lyssa Mia Smith, whose novel, REVELLE, came out last m...
The Exploress: NIGHTBIRDS Edition
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I am thrilled to share a juicy snippet of the NIGHTBIRDS audiobook with you, listeners! Please enjoy the prologue and first chapter, brought to life b...
The 1920s, But Make It Fiction with Amie Kaufman
26 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 3. I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Amie Kaufman, fellow author, friend, and co-host of my other podcast, Pub Dates, about ta...
The Flappers of the 1920s
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 2. The flapper is the most iconic lady of the Roaring Twenties. We'll learn about her signature bobbed hairdo, what makeup she was r...
Re-Release: The Women's Suffrage Movement & American Voting Rights (The 2023 Edition)
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4, Episode 1. Let's time travel back to the 1920s! But first, we're going to revisit a vintage Exploress episode that explores something moment...
Being Queen with Elizabeth I
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 28. Queen Elizabeth I ruled for 45 years as the Virgin Queen, Good Queen Bess, and Gloriana, and her reign is now referred to as the...
Education in Tudor England with Queen Katherine Parr
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 27. Survived. Join Henry VIII's sixth and final queen, Katherine Parr, as we explore what education looked like for women in Tudor E...
Sex in Tudor England with Queen Catherine Howard
27 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 26. In this episode, Queen Catherine Howard is going to be our guide as we explore all things sex for Tudor women. We'll walk throug...
Magic, Poison, and Sex in the French Court of King Louis XIV
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 25. What connects a sorceress, a murderess, a mistress and a French king? Let's find out in this special Halloween bonus. For this e...
WWII Code Girls with Ellie Marney
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 24. Murder, mystery, and WWII code girls: oh my! Join me as I chat with Ellie Marney, the New York Times bestselling author of the n...
Courtship in Tudor England with Queen Anne of Cleves
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 23. Like most royal women, Anne of Cleves - English king Henry VIII's fourth wife - didn't have much choice when it came to whom she...
Tudor Ladies in Waiting: Interview with Sylvia Barbara Soberton
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 22. Join me as I sit down with author Sylvia Barbara Soberton to talk about a Tudor queen's ladies-in-waiting: who they were, what t...
Childbirth in Tudor England with Queen Jane Seymour
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 21. English King Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour, will take us on a journey through one of the most important jobs and greates...
Was Shakespeare Really A Woman?
23 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 20. Will the real William Shakespeare please stand up? The Shakespeare authorship debate started with a woman named Delia Bacon, and...
Reimagining Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn for The King's Wife Musical: Interview with Jennifer Kranz
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 19. I had the privilege of interviewing Jennifer Kranz, the producer of The King's Wife, a musical that reimagines the relationship ...
All Things Anne Boleyn: Interview with Natalie Grueninger
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 18. I enjoyed my chat with our special guest from Fashion with Anne Boleyn so much that I've decided to publish it in full. Natalie ...
Fashion in Tudor England with Queen Anne Boleyn
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 17. Let English king Henry VIII's most fabulously fashionable queen, Anne Boleyn, be your guide as we glide through the halls of the...
Religion in Tudor England with Queen Catherine of Aragon, Part 2
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 16. Religion lives at the heart of Catherine of Aragon's story, and at the center of Tudor life. Let's continue our journey with o...
Religion in Tudor England with Queen Catherine of Aragon, Part 1
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 15. Religion lives at the heart of Catherine of Aragon's story, and at the center of Tudor life. Let's walk beside this regal quee...
Introducing: Pub Dates
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I'm excited to announce the new podcast I'm making with my friend Amie Kaufman. It'll take you behind the scenes on the making of our books, The Isles...
The History of Mrs, Miss, and Ms
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 14. Ever wondered about the origin stories of the titles Mrs., Miss, and Ms.? They're more than likely to surprise you. This bonus e...
The Magnificent Lady Fu Hao
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 13. For years, China's ancient Shang Dynasty was almost a myth, but its stories were lying in wait in the Yellow River plain, where ...
A Brief History of Sequins
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 12. This month, I'm pulling three bonus episodes from the Patreon vault to share with everyone. Happy holidays! I LOVE me some sequi...
Women and Witch Hunts in Scotland and England
30 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 11. Between 1450 and 1750, some 100,000 Europeans were tried for witchcraft, and some of the most intense periods of witchy panic to...
Re-Release: A History of Women & Poison
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 10. This is one of my earliest Halloween-inspired bonus episodes, finessed and remastered, to get you warmed up for our Tudor-era Ha...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 9: Feast & Fun
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 9. We Tudor ladies have done a lot of work in this series. So let's prepare a meal, then take our place at the table and enjoy it. W...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 8: Women of Business
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 8. We've talked a lot about the kinds of work Tudor women were doing inside of the domestic sphere. But what about out in the wider ...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 7: A Woman's Work, Continued
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 7. In our last episode, we found out just how much work we ladies have to do in Tudor England. Now...well...we're going to work some...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 6: A Woman's Work is Never Done
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 6. Women in Tudor England had a LOT to do on the day to day. Let's dive into what kinds of tasks she would typically be getting into...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 5: Let's Get Dressed
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 5. What the Tudor woman wears, and particularly what type of fabrics, will depend a lot on her level of wealth and social station, b...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 4: Getting Clean
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 4. Before we get dressed in Tudor England, we've got some cleaning of our bodies to do. What DOES a Tudor lady smell like? Let's go ...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 3: Of Godliness and Privies
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 3. In part 2, we got out of bed and explored our Tudor cottage a little. Now it's time to get right with God and find a place to hav...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 2: Rise and Shine
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 2. Last time, we got some context about where we're time traveling back to. Now we'll open our eyes on Tudor England and get going w...
A Lady's Life in Tudor England, Part 1: Where Are We, Exactly?
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3, Episode 1. Let's time travel back to Tudor England and explore your average lady's day. But first, we'll be contextualizing the time period:...
A History of Menstruation
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How have women throughout history dealt with their periods? In this bonus episode, we'll explore how menstruation was viewed in different cultures and...
The Wolf Den: Interview with Elodie Harper
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You can order The Wolf Den in the U.K. and Australia wherever books are sold! For American listeners, Blackwell's in the U.K. is offering 100% FREE sh...
Rebel Warrior Queens: Boudicca and Zenobia
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 33. Ancient Rome's military machine was legend, taking over lands far outside its capital. But there were always those who fought ba...
The First Ladies of the Roman Empire, Part 6: Empress Agrippina
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 31. Last time, we saw Agrippina the Younger survive her exile AND a jealous young empress, only to marry her uncle Claudius and beco...
The First Ladies of the Roman Empire, Part 5: Agrippina the Younger
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 30. Last time, we saw Agrippina the Elder making some big power plays for her children, but ultimately she lost the imperial game. H...
The First Ladies of the Roman Empire, Part 4: Livia and Both Agrippinas
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 29. When we last left Agrippina the Elder and empress Livia, both had hit a real high point in terms of their personal power. But th...
The Women's Suffrage Movement & American Voting Rights
31 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The story of the American suffrage movement is long and complex, filled with noteworthy characters, highlights and shadows, and plenty of paths we cou...
The First Ladies of the Roman Empire, Part 3: Livia and Agrippina the Elder
24 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 28. Daughter of Rome's most venerated war hero, favorite granddaughter of its first emperor, wife of one of its most shining stars, ...
A Brief History of the Bra
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Love them or hate them, bras have always been with us in one form or another. They've squashed us down, lifted us up, and shaped our silhouettes, a co...
The First Ladies of the Roman Empire, Part 2: Livia, Octavia, and Julia
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 27. When we last left our Roman ladies, Octavia and Livia, their lives were changing fast. After all that bloodshed and drama, Octav...
The First Ladies of the Roman Empire, Part 1: Livia and Octavia
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2, Episode 26. Let's trace the paths of some of ancient Rome's first imperial superstars: the wives, sisters, and daughters who rose with Octav...