About Victoria

A life-long Anglophile, Ms. Sportelli loves British manners, folklore, customs, history, and humor. She traipses about England as often as she can for both research and pleasure.

In college Ms. Sportelli fell in love with the Anglo-Saxon and early Medieval languages and culture. She was particularly impressed with their poetry and their sophisticated society. She majored in English literature with a special interest in the Anglo-Saxon and the early Medieval periods. Ms. Sportelli still uses two former college texts, Anglo-Saxon Primer and History of the English Language.

During her reading and research, she concluded that Henry I of England was an under-rated king who did much to turn the Norman army of invasion into citizens of law. She finds King Henry’s early years and the dangers he faced compelling amid the conflicts between the Saxons and the Normans.

Ms. Sportelli loves to share her immense knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods with her readers, but when asked if she wanted to live in England in 1100, she kindly replies, “No indoor plumbing. No electricity or central heat. No chocolate yet in Europe. No thank you. I love to write about that era, but I prefer our modern amenities.”