Dr. Jess Venner is a renowned ancient historian and award-winning scholar known for her groundbreaking work on Pompeii's urban environment. In 2018, she was awarded a prestigious scholarship to pursue her PhD in Classics, Ancient History, and Archaeology at the University of Birmingham. Her research has been featured in leading academic journals, and her insights have reached audiences worldwide through international lectures, spanning London to San Francisco.

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Currently, Jess is continuing her postdoctoral research as an Early Career Research Associate at the Institute of Classical Studies. In January 2026, she will take up the prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at University of Oxford to undertake fully-funded research into the early Roman Empire for three years.

 

Her expertise and dynamic presentation style earned her a nomination for the Canon Best Original Content bCreator of the Year at the ITV bCreator Awards 2025 (vote here) and for the Future Presenter Award at the New Voice Awards 2024. She also earned her place among the National Gallery's 200 Creators for its bicentenary celebration. She is an elected Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in recognition of her contributions to the field of History.

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She was recently awarded the highly competitive Rome Award from the British School at Rome, a 3-month residency in the 'Eternal City', and was appointed a Trustee of the Friends of the Herculaneum Society.

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Beyond academia, Jess reaches millions of viewers on TikTok, YouTube, Substack and Instagram through her popular channels, Life in the Past Lane, bringing ancient history to life in accessible and relatable ways.

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Jess lives in Buckinghamshire, UK, with her husband and their Wheaten Terrier, Winnie.