Anthony Delaney

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his rigorous academic discipline with a deft, joyous touch and occasional zeal. Here is a page turner one could as easily read on a beach as in a library. Queer Georgians is utterly riveting.

If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer Georgians brings both – and more – vividly to life.

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individual lives, families and even communities.

In this moving and revelatory book, Anthony Delaney gives a voice to women and men whose lives have been written out of history. At heart, Queer Georgians is about the triumph of love in adversity.

Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five and Story of a Murder

Fascinating, exciting, vivid with stories, and scrupulously researched, the brilliant Queer Georgians tells us so much about the period and so many lives. Anthony Delaney has combed the archives, explored the sources and created a superb book that brings the Georgian world to life and all its secret lives. Wonderful.

Professor Kate Williams, author of Rival Queens

Anthony Delaney is a superb public historian, words drop off his tongue and flow from his pen with a fluency that is the envy of us all.

Dan Snow, broadcaster and author of Death or Victory

A rare combination of bold ideas, rigorous archival research, and a personal voice, Queer Georgians introduces us to a fascinating range of characters.

Emma Donoghue, author of Room and Passions Between Women

Anthony Delaney's research is sharp, his prose so elegant, and the result is a deeply thoughtful reimagining of the Georgian world... Flawless.

Dr Owen Emmerson, Historical Consultant on Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light (BBC)

An illuminating, deeply researched and deeply felt account of many remarkable lives. Anthony Delaney writes of love in every part of Georgian society - from royal residences to red-light districts - with sensitivity, wit, and learning. This is a fascinating book.

Gareth Russell, author of Queen James and The Palace

In Anthony Delaney’s Queer Georgians, the queer histories of the Georgians are reexamined through a diverse character cast and across a sweeping stage – from lavish aristocratic seats to torrid London prisons – that makes for a compulsive read. Delaney’s book offers a timely window onto a side of Georgian society that is all too rarely seen.

A fascinating story, beautifully told. The many and varied characters are brought vividly to life by the author's keen eye for period detail and lively, evocative writing style. Reading this hitherto hidden history was a revelation. I was utterly enthralled from the first page to the last.

Tracy Borman, Chief Historian, Historic Royal Palaces and author of Private Lives of the Tudors

What Delaney achieves here is forensic brilliance. He doesn't just examine the famous queers we think we know—he dissects the very historical documents that recorded them, drawing out fascinating and genuinely empowering conclusions about the stubborn permeance of queer people and relationships throughout the last three centuries. It's detective work of the highest order, served with the kind of scholarly rigour that makes you want to clutch your pearls and applaud simultaneously.

What readers are saying about Queer Georgians: 
 
'Fascinating and enlightening from beginning to end. I couldn’t put it down!' 
'A book full of stories, gems and moments that will stay with you... A mix of joy, hope and pride on each page.' 
'Accessible, relevant, beyond interesting - this is a delightful must-read book!'

A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers

Mother Clap's Holborn coffee house is open to all comers, a place of companionship and community, until a tip-off leads to a midnight raid. 
 
Two women, exiled from their families, set up a utopian homestead in a remote Welsh cottage, inspiring a generation of Romantic poets. 
 
The celebrated Chevalier d'Eon, soldier, diplomat and spy, challenges a rival to a fencing match. The sweepstake is not over who will win, but whether the Chevalier is a man or a woman. 
 
In this dazzling work of restorative history, Dr Anthony Delaney has traced the stories of people daring to challenge society's expectations, unearthing archives and court records to reveal the tragedies and the joys of queer life three centuries ago. Breathing new life into the forgotten and offering radical new interpretations of celebrated figures such as Anne Lister, Queer Georgians is an invitation to view our shared history in a whole new light.

Anthony Delaney

Praise for Queer Georgians

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his ...

**If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister**, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individu ...

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his ...

**If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister**, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individu ...

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his ...

**If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister**, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individu ...

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Praise for Queer Georgians

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his ...

If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individu ...

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his ...

If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individu ...

Delaney writes with great precision... It's impossible not to feel invested in the drama and well-being of his most cherished characters... A hugely immersive read... Throughout the book, Delaney applies his ...

If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

Anthony Delaney has opened the closet door of Jane Austen’s England and found people of every style - criminalised in their own time, ignored by ours, heroically finding their own ways to make individu ...

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter

**If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister**, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

**If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister**, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...

**If you’ve been intrigued by the gay romances that featured in Bridgerton, or the legend of Anne Lister**, the inspiration behind Sally Wainwright’s 2019 TV drama Gentleman Jack, then Queer G ...