TEDx Talk
In 2023, Hayley took to the TEDx stage at King’s College London to deliver a 15 minute TEDx talk on her specialist subject, titled: “Anne Boleyn and the Art of Making Unpopular Decisions.” Drawing on Boleyn’s lesser known life of activism and amnesty, Hayley discussed what the infamous Tudor Queen can teach us about using our voice and making unpopular decisions in order to stay on the right side of history. Hayley’s TEDx talk is streaming on TED.com now.
All About History
In 2022 Hayley was asked to write an article for All About History magazine which became a 4 page spread. As part of their ‘What If…’ series, All About History asked Hayley ‘What if Anne Boleyn had stayed in France?’ The article was immensely interesting to research and write. Then for International Women’s Month 2023 Hayley was asked to contribute to a piece called ‘Heroines of History’ with an illustrious list of leading historians. The women were asked to talk about a woman in history who inspired them the most - and of course Hayley chose her specialist subject, Anne Boleyn!
10 Million Views in
Tiktok Collaboration
In 2021 Hayley signed contracts with popular app Tiktok to create exclusive history content for their #LearnOnTiktok hashtag. Hayley came to Tiktok’s attention after building a dedicated fanbase and now has over 200,000 followers, disseminating her historical research about Anne Boleyn to a whole new audience via lighthearted videos on the social network. Now her videos have over 10 million views and 3 million likes. Hayley is delighted that the truth about Anne Boleyn’s activism and political work is educating the next generation who only know the sexist and censored portrayal of the Tudor Queen.
Publication Day
Book Launch & Signing
On 1st December 2019, Hayley celebrated publication day for her corrective biography 'Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies’. History fans and followers travelled from as far as the USA and Italy to join the historian at Great St Barts, London's oldest Tudor church for a book reading and signing. Hayley was introduced by her editor, Victoria Pepe, who discussed the impact the book was already having and shared the news that it had been chosen as The Independent’s book fo the month, that same day.
UK Parliament Week
Be More Boleyn
In 2019, Hayley Nolan launched the #BeMoreBoleyn campaign for UK Parliament Week at Houses of Parliament, revealing how Anne Boleyn’s incredible hidden story can inspire young women to get involved in politics themselves. As Nolan’s research revealed, it was Boleyn’s work on a revolutionary Poor Law to provide free healthcare and employment for the poor that was the real reason for her downfall and death. It was Henry VIII backing Boleyn’s proposal for a new government council to oversee the scheme - one that would rival the powers of the king’s Privy Council, of which his advisor Cromwell was the head - that posed a threat to Cromwell, who then admitted to framing Boleyn for adultery.
Women’s Aid
Campaign
Hayley collaborated with charity Women’s Aid to call out the damaging romanticised rhetoric surrounding Henry VIII’s relationship with Anne Boleyn. In an online campaign, Nolan explained: “When we know a story ends with a man killing his wife it’s our responsibility to the audience - as historians, writers, producers or directors - not to put a romantic spin on his actions.”
Adina Claire, acting co-Chief Executive of Women’s Aid says: “The way we understand history affects the way we understand the world. Women’s Aid is raising awareness of this with Hayley Nolan, who is challenging the way [Anne Boleyn’s] story has been told in history.”
Leonardo Da Vinci
Research Trip
In 2017 Hayley Nolan was invited to research Leonardo da Vinci's final home of Le Clos Luce in the Loire Valley, France. Working with French experts, Nolan delved into da Vinci’s final years in order to present a series of films for Atout France about the iconic painter and inventor. As part of the series, Nolan got to explore da Vinci’s estate, including the chateau’s priory and underground cav which was said to be connected to King Francis I’s nearby chateau.
Houses Of Parliament
General Election
Hayley Nolan was first invited to work with Houses of Parliament for the 2017 General Elections when she wrote and presented an historical vlogumentary to encourage fellow millennials to vote. In the non-partisan film, Nolan discussed the iconic building’s Tudor history as she explored Houses of Parliament and the House of Commons out of hours, giving young viewers a feel for political life.
The History Review
Following the success of her podcast series of the same name, Hayley launched the hugely popular spin-off vlogumentary series The History Review, which gained 3 million views in its first year streaming on Facebook. This saw her working with some of the country's most renowned historical organisations and venues from the National Archives of the UK Government and Historic Royal Palaces to Tower Bridge and Anne Boleyn's childhood home Hever Castle. Hayley was also invited to conduct research and film at Boleyn's French childhood home of the Chateau Royal de Blois, with the assistance of the castle’s own historians.
UN Delegate
In 2023, Hayley was selected as a UN Delegate for the 67th Commission on the Status of Women. During the two week conference, Hayley took part in numerous events, sharing ideas and solutions to the problems facing women and girls today. Hayley said: “It was an honour to volunteer my time as a UN Women UK Delegate this year. Particularly as a historian highlighting the censorship of Anne Boleyn's activism, it was great to share my ideas at the ‘Future of Education’ event, that if we erase the positive impact of women in history, it gives women today a distorted view of their own place in the world and what women can achieve.”
Jane Austen
Project 200
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, Hayley Nolan was invited to work with Jane Austen's House Museum and her brother's estate Chawton House in Hampshire for a series of educational films and projects. Nolan incorporated this research into her work with The History Review while exploring the artefacts and house in which Austen spent the last eight years of her life writing her most famous manuscripts.