Carolyn Kirby and Anthony Delaney

Historical novelist Carolyn Kirby and historian Dr Anthony Delaney discuss the hidden stories of lovers, lawmakers and homemakers who defied convention in Georgian times and whose stories are only now coming to light through dramas such as Gentleman Jack and Bridgerton.

Kirby extensively researched 18th-century gender perceptions for her novel, Ravenglass, an 18th-century adventure set on land and at sea. The story sees her leading male character live as a woman for a while to escape danger. What does this and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape dressed as a woman tell us about cross-dressing and gender fluidity in Georgian society?

Delaney, presenter of the History Hit podcast, is author of Queer Georgians, the story of the real people that inspired Gentleman Jack and the gay romances in Bridgerton. He tells the stories of people who dared to challenge society’s expectations and offers a new interpretation of celebrated figures such as the diarist Anne Lister. Delaney is an honorary fellow at the University of Exeter and an actor on stage and screen.