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Writer and broadcaster Lord Melvyn Bragg introduces his latest novel, Now is the Time, a fictional recreation of the biggest rebellion in English history, the Peasants’ Revolt.

Bragg paints a picture of the Peasants’ Revolt on both the grand scale and through the central characters at the heart of the action. It is a story of a battle between the powerful and the seemingly powerless that took place at the end of May 1381 in the reign of the then 14-year-old King Richard II. The plague had returned, the king’s coffers were empty and a draconian poll tax had been introduced but was widely evaded. A large force of common people entered London demanding freedom, equality and the uprooting of Church and state.

Bragg is a broadcaster and novelist particularly known for his work as editor and presenter of the long-running The South Bank Show arts programme on ITV. He is author of many award-winning novels including Grace and Mary, The Hired Man, Without a City Wall, A Son of War and Crossing the Lines.  He also sits in the House of Lords as a Labour peer.