Podcast: 1611-2011: The 400th anniversary of the King James Bible (UK National Archives)

The wealth of celebrations taking place in 2011 for the anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible testifies to the lasting resonance of this translation of the Bible, for both believers and non-believers alike. But in the years immediately after publication it was slow to gain acceptance, and it was only after the Restoration that it became genuinely popular. This talk examines the context of the translation and its origins at the Hampton Court Conference, and considers the extent of King James' involvement in its production. Pauline Croft is Professor of Early Modern History at Royal Holloway College, University of London, and a trustee of the King James Bible Trust. She has published extensively on sixteenth and seventeenth British political, parliamentary and cultural history