The Book of Margery Kempe Resources

Check out the University of Rochester's digital edition of the original Middle English of Kempe's Book, including a helpful introduction.

Whether it's called Bishop's Lynn (as in Kempe's day), King's Lynn, or just plain Lynn, Kempe called it home. Check out the lay of the land with this website.

So there's only one copy in the world of the manuscript containing The Book of Margery Kempe, but fear not: the British Library has made it available online. This article also tells the story of the discovery and preservation of the manuscript.

Pope Benedict XVI mentions Kempe in connection with the great female mystic Julian of Norwich in an address during a General Audience in 2010. It's interesting to see how Kempe is viewed by the Catholic Church—especially in contrast with Julian. (Spoiler alert: the Church likes Julian better.)

Elizabeth MacDonald writes about Margery Kempe to promote her book Skirting Heresy: the Life and Times of Margery Kempe.

Elizabeth MacDonald discusses her first book, The Life and Times of Margery Kempe.

Scroll down the page to find the mp3 of BBC Radio 3's program on The Book of Margery Kempe. Warning: turn your sound down a bit before hitting play.

Kempe is way sensitive to sound, especially the heavenly music that she hears in her ears at moments of spiritual favor. This collection of medieval pilgrimage music will give you a good sense of the liturgical music that Kempe was likely to have heard in the outside world.

The British Library has digitized and provides free access to Brit. Lib. Add. MS. 61823—yup, that's the only surviving manuscript of the Book of Margery Kempe. This manuscript was probably made as a copy of the original version, and its production was probably overseen by Kempe herself.

Okay, okay: this is a blog with words. But if you make it to the bottom, you'll be rewarded with some pretty awesome Kempe inspired memes.