Residents will be invited to step back in time to Tudor York this summer, thanks to the Big City Read.

Organised by City of York Council, York’s Big City Read is an annual event where residents are encouraged to read the same book and then take part in event celebrating the chosen novel.

This year, people are being invited to read C.J. Sansom’s Sovereign, a fantastic murder mystery set in Tudor York at the time of The Coming of the King’s Grace – Henry VIII’s Grand Tour.

City of York Council would like to invite members of the public to York City Archives to get a rare chance to see the original manuscripts documenting York’s preparations for Henry VIII’s progress.  This is a great opportunity to find out how the manuscripts were written, what they can tell us, and their place in the last 800 years of York’s history.

The archives talks will take place at York City Archives on Wednesday 24 June 2009 from 1.00pm until 2.00pm and Thursday 9 July 2009 from 6.00pm until 7.00pm.

Tickets are free, but places are limited so booking is essential.  To book your place please telephone 01904 551878 or visit York City Archives.

A series of events will be held throughout the summer to help readers get an idea of what it might be like to have lived in York in Tudor times.

More detailed information about all the Big Read events is available from www.bigcityread.co.uk

The Big City Read initiative is part of the council’s aim to ensure that York is a City of Culture, where residents and visitors are inspired to free their creative talents.