Sarah Gristwood is a writer, historian, biographer, and broadcaster whose work has consistently illuminated the lives of women past and present. Educated at St Anne’s College, Oxford, she began her career as a journalist, writing on film and culture for publications including the Guardian, The Times, the Mail and the Telegraph. Interviewing subjects from Robert de Niro to Sharon Stone, and Helen Mirren to Martin Scorsese, her early work honed her eye for story and character — qualities that now define her historical writing. In recent years she has been a regular contributor on royal and historical subjects to BBC History magazine, the Smithsonian Magazine, and the Huffington Post.
Her bestselling Arbella: England’s Lost Queen marked the beginning of her acclaimed studies of Tudor women. It was followed by Elizabeth and Leicester; Blood Sisters, which explored the women paving the way for the Tudors; and Game of Queens, about the powerful networks of female rulers who influenced sixteenth-century Europe. In The Tudors in Love, she examined how the idea of courtly love shaped both politics and personal relationships within the dynasty. Her biographies of twentieth century figures such as Beatrix Potter, Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville-West and Elizabeth II likewise often contribute to restoring women’s place in the historical narrative.
Her most recent book, Secret Voices: A Year of Women’s Diaries, takes readers into the private worlds of women across centuries and continents. Through the words of queens, schoolgirls, artists, and activists—both famous and forgotten—Sarah reveals how women have reflected on their inner lives, their relationships, and the ways they connect with one another. Celebrated for its breadth, empathy, and insight, Secret Voices has been widely praised.
Sarah is a regular voice in the media, appearing frequently on television, radio, and podcasts to discuss royal and historical subjects. She is also a popular speaker at literary festivals, history events, and conferences, known for bringing the past vividly to life.
She was married for many years to the late Derek Malcolm, the distinguished film critic, and divides her time between London and Kent.
Her forthcoming book, Celebrating Women (Batsford Books, October 2025), is an anthology that brings together poetry, letters, novels, and journals to explore how women have shared their inner lives with one another — offering support, sparking change, and building lasting connections. It’s a tribute to the ways women communicate, create, and celebrate each other through writing.
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