Launching Queer Georgians at Edinburgh's Georgian house

We could not be more thrilled to collaborate with friends at The National Trust for Scotland to bring a sumptious slice of queer history to life: this September we're launching Anthony Delany's Queer Georgians at Edinburgh's Georgian House!

Based on original archival research by podcaster Dr Delaney, Queer Georgians: A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers reveals the real people that inspired Gentleman Jack and the gay romances in Bridgerton, long written out of the nation's story and now lovingly restored.

Attendees are free to explore the house after the event and have a browse of The Georgian House's excellent secondhand bookshop.

The book:

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'Éon, 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.

Join us for a most atmospheric of evenings, (re)discovering queer pasts in the Georgian House's sumptuous Drawing Room.

The host: Writer, researcher and museum professional Indigo Dunphy-Smith.

The speaker: Dr Anthony Delany has a PhD in history from the University of Exeter, where he is an Honorary Fellow, and presents the History Hit podcast After Dark, which has 800k monthly listens. Queer Georgians is his first book.

Along with winning ‘Rookie of the Year’ at the 2024 True Crime Awards, Anthony was also nominated for ‘Best New Presenter’ at the 2024 Arias. He also appears on and has presented numerous history documentaries across TV and streaming platforms.

As an actor, Anthony currently plays DC Jordan Macdonald in comedy crime drama Harry Wild for Acorn TV and AMC+. Other TV film credits have included Hellboy, Fair City and Penny Dreadful. On stage, Anthony has appeared in theatres across the UK and Ireland including the National Theatre and in the West End.

Accessibility details for The Georgian House: https://www.nts.org.uk/accessibility/the-georgian-house-accessibility-guide

Credit for engraving in banner image: Engraving of Jupiter Disguised as Diana Seducing Callisto, after Angelica Kauffmann, c. 1766-1781, NTS. Accession Number: 75.563.2