The Book of Margery Kempe is considered by some to be the first autobiography written in the English language. The work has become an important literary account. It is also unusual during this period that the subject for the book was a woman and a 'commoner', explicitly not with an aristocratic background.
The book chronicles Margery's domestic tribulations, tracing the developments of her relationship with her husband and their many children. She also describes her extensive pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe and the Holy Land, as well as her mystical 'conversations' that she believed to be with God.
Currently in the final stages of production this summer, the film has been written, directed and produced by Mirabelle Dominé-Walley and Luke Walker. And it is being made by a group of Norfolk and London-based creatives, who are often both crew and cast.
The film is part drama and part documentary. It has been adapted from her life at the turn of the fifteenth century and includes a speculative meeting that could have taken place with her contemporary, the renowned anchoress, Julian of Norwich. The film features Margery, dressed in white, wandering through the early period buildings of King’s Lynn, interspersed with interviews from locals and experts on Kempe and the period that she lived in.
To read more about forthcoming previews, including the next one scheduled for King’s Lynn Heritage Open Day on 13th September 2026, please see the website and fill in the contact form on: intothemystic.cargo.site.
If you are interested in being involved in a staged mass, or in supporting the work required to finish the film's post-production, or to join the Into The Mystic mailing list, please contact:
mirabelle.intothemystic@gmail.com or luke.intothemystic@gmail.com.
The film is supported by the Audrey Muriel Stratford Trust and The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.
About the author
Paul Vater
PAUL VATER
Paul conducts studio visits to maintain strong relationships with artists, designers and craftspeople who show their work with us. He manages the main C&C website and has developed the online shop where selected works are presented for sale.
Paul established his design company, Sugarfree, in 1990 and quickly gained a reputation for delivering fresh, effective marketing campaigns and brand identities for clients including Save the Children Fund, United Nations Association and UNHCR. Over the years those added to the roster include IPC Magazines, Arts Council England, The Roundhouse, Barbican Centre, Arts Marketing Association, Look Ahead Housing and Care, Paddington Waterside, BBC Worldwide, Commonwealth Foundation, Prestel, City of London Corporation, Baker Street Quarter, Victoria BID and the University of East Anglia.