Gentleman Jack : a biography of Anne Lister, Regency Landowner, Seducer and Secret Diarist

'A fascinating book about a remarkable woman' The Times Anne Lister was a Yorkshire heiress, an intrepid world traveller and a proud lesbian during a time when it was difficult simply to be female. She chose to remain unmarried, dressed all in black and spoke openly of her lack of interest in men. The first woman to climb Vignemale in the treacherous Pyrenees, she journeyed as far as Azerbaijan and slept with a pistol under her pillow. As daring as Don Juan and as passionate as Heathcliff, Anne would not be constrained by the mores of Regency society. Anne's diaries lay hidden for many years, before scholars were brave enough to crack their code. Her erotic confessions and lively letters tell the story of an extraordinary woman. In this groundbreaking new book, celebrated author Angela Steidele gives a fresh perspective on the life of a cult historical figure. Anne Lister Was A Wealthy Yorkshire Heiress, A World Traveller And A Lesbian In An Era When It Was Difficult Simply To Be Female. She Wrote Her Diary In Code Derived From Ancient Greek, Including Details Of Her Liaisons With Women. Liberated By Her Money, She Remained Unmarried, Opened A Colliery And Chose To Dress In Men's Clothes. Some Locals Referred To Her As Gentleman Jack And Sent Her Poison Pen Letters, But This Did Not Dissuade Her From Living Mostly As She Pleased. On Inheriting Shibden Hall, Anne Chose To Travel Abroad, Before Returning To Halifax And Courting Ann Walker, Another Wealthy Heiress Twelve Years Her Junior. They Renovated Shibden Hall Together And Considered Themselves Married, To The Horror Of Walker's Relatives. On A Trip To Georgia, Lister Caught A Fever And Died. Walker Was Subsequently Shut Up In The Same Lunatic Asylum As Eliza, One Of Lister's Earlier Conquests. The Biography Combines Excerpts Of Lister's Own Diaries With Angela Steidele's Erudite And Lively Commentary.--provided By Publisher. Angela Steidele ; Translated By Katy Derbyshire. First Published In Germany In 2017 By Matthes & Seitz Berlin As Anne Lister : Eine Erotische Biographie -- Title Page Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 319-322). Translated From The German.

Longlisted for the 2019 Portico Prize

The extraordinary life of history's first modern lesbian who inspired the popular television series Gentleman Jack.

Anne Lister's journals were so shocking that the first person to crack their secret code hid them behind a fake panel in his ancestral home. Anne Lister was a Regency landowner, an intrepid world traveller ... and an unabashed lover of other women.

In this bold new biography, prizewinning author Angela Steidele uses the diaries to create a portrait of Anne Lister as we've never seen her before: a woman in some ways very much of her time and in others far ahead of it. Anne Lister recorded everything from the most intimate details of her numerous liaisons through to her plans to make her fortune by exploiting the coal seams under her family estate in Halifax and her reaction to the Peterloo massacre. She conducted a love life of labyrinthine complexity, all while searching for a girlfriend who could provide her with both financial security and true love.

Anne Lister's rich and unconventional life is now the subject of the major BBC TV drama series Gentleman Jack.

Longlisted for the 2019 Portico Prize The extraordinary life of history's first modern lesbian who inspired the popular television series Gentleman Jack. Anne Lister's journals were so shocking that the first person to crack their secret code hid them behind a fake panel in his ancestral home. Anne Lister was a Regency landowner, an intrepid world traveller ... and an unabashed lover of other women. In this bold new biography, prizewinning author Angela Steidele uses the diaries to create a portrait of Anne Lister as we've never seen her before: a woman in some ways very much of her time and in others far ahead of it. Anne Lister recorded everything from the most intimate details of her numerous liaisons through to her plans to make her fortune by exploiting the coal seams under her family estate in Halifax and her reaction to the Peterloo massacre. She conducted a love life of labyrinthine complexity, all while searching for a girlfriend who could provide her with both financial security and true love. Anne Lister's rich and unconventional life is now the subject of the major BBC TV drama series Gentleman Jack .