The author Lady Antonia Fraser will discuss her latest book’s Ripon connections in this year’s Markenfield Hall lecture series.

The hall, near Ripon, has held lectures since 2013 to raise funds for restoration work.

Past speakers include the writers Phillippa Gregory, Diane Atkinson, Julian Fellowes, Leanda de Lisle and Anne de Courcy.

Lady Antonia, who headlines this year’s series, will talk about her book The Case of the Married Woman, which is due out next month.

The book portrays the Victorian women’s rights activist Caroline Norton, whose descendant Lord Grantley owns Markenfield Hall.

Lord Grantley and Lady Antonia will talk about Norton’s life, as well as how the Markenfield archives were used as a source for the book.

The lecture will take place online on May 12.

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Until last year, lectures were held in the drawing room at Markenfield Hall, which can seat about 50 people.

This year’s planned online events also feature the author Alexander McCall Smith, the writer A N Wilson and the Guardian journalist Madeleine Bunting.

Lord Grantley’s mother, Lady Deirdre, lives at the hall with her husband Ian Curteis, the former TV director.

The programme for 2021 is available here.