HistFest 2026: The Lost Voices of Pompeii with Dr Jess Venner and Dr Raksha Dave

This event, originally titled ‘The Lost Voices of Pompeii: The Final Day in Seven Lives’, took place on 18 April 2026. The information below is correct as of the publication date.

We all know how the people of Pompeii died. But what about how they lived?
Drawing on the latest archaeological discoveries in her debut non-fiction book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii, Dr Jess Venner brings the ancient streets to life through the eyes of those who lived, worked, loved and ultimately met their fate in Pompeii.

In this HistFest session, Jess was joined in conversation by broadcaster and author Dr Raksha Dave. Together they explored a more complex, diverse and human community than we ever imagined.

This event took place as part of HistFest 2026 and was supported by Jules Verne Ltd.

About HistFest:

HistFest is a dynamic history festival that celebrates the brightest and the best in the world of history over an exciting weekend of talks, discussions, performance and music.

To join more online and in person events visit our website: https://events.bl.uk/

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Speaker Bios:

Dr Jess Venner is a renowned ancient historian and award-winning scholar at the University of Oxford (Leverhulme Early Career Fellow) known for her groundbreaking work on Pompeii. In 2018, she was awarded a prestigious scholarship to pursue her PhD in Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology at the University of Birmingham, and in 2025 she was awarded both the Rome Award at the British School at Rome and the highly competitive Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship for postdoctoral research. Her research has been featured in leading academic journals, and her insights have reached audiences worldwide through international lectures. Her expertise and dynamic presentation style earned her a place amongst the National Gallery's 200 Creators for its bicentenary celebration. She is an elected Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in recognition of her contributions to the field of History. She is also a Trustee of the Herculaneum Society.

Dr Raksha Dave is a field archaeologist, public archaeologist and broadcaster. Within the heritage sector, Raksha developed and managed various HLF funded community projects, sat on the board of trustees for the Council for British Archaeology (London) and became an advocate and patron for the Young Archaeologists Club. Her broadcasting career includes presenting on Time Team (Channel 4), Ancient Voices (BBC Learning Zone), Pompeii’s Final Hours: New Evidence (Channel 5) and Digging for Britain (BBC4). Raksha is currently working on future broadcasting projects and acts as an advocate and consultant for various arts organisations looking to broaden audience participation by looking at ways to encourage diversity and inclusivity in their workplace practise.

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