TUDOR TIMES COME TO YORK FOR BIG CITY READ

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 27th Jun 2009

This year's Big City Read is set to take people back to the time of Henry VIII as people are invited to read C.J. Sansom's 'Sovereign', a murder mystery set in Tudor York.

City of York Council's Libraries team will be giving away copies of the book this Friday place in St Sampson's Square, from 10am until 4pm.

Special events and exhibitions throughout the summer will allow readers to find out more about King Henry VIII:

• Explore Acomb Library is hosting a felt making event on Saturday 4 July, giving people the opportunity to make a small bag or pouch, incorporating Tudor motifs.

• The York Waits - the city's resident renaissance band - will perform The King's Pavan - music from the life and times of Henry VIII at the National Centre for Early Music on Thursday 15 June at 7.30pm.

• A free exhibition at York Library will illustrate the real story behind Sovereign, with archival manuscripts written by the city council in 1541 showing how York prepared for the Royal Progress The documents provide evidence of people's lives and the history of York and can be seen for the first time at the exhibition, which will run throughout the summer.

• A second exhibition, at York Minster, will take visitors beyond the myths and stereotypes surrounding Henry VIII to address the intellectual journey of Henry's monarchy and re-examine perceptions of the Tudor king.

Books, manuscripts and letters written or annotated by Henry will offer an unprecedented insight into the mind of the King, revealing the driving forces behind his actions and telling the story of his reign from his own perspective. The Minster exhibition is open from Tuesday 30- June until Sunday 26 July

Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion Councillor Nigel Ayre said, "Encouraging people to read the same book at the same time is a great way of bringing people together through culture. Hopefully people will be inspired to come along to the special events to find out more about the history on which the book is based."

"Events like the Big City Read are a great way to get people to read more and to encourage more people to find out what the city's libraries have to offer."