Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

17th Century Sci-Fi Writer & 'It Girl': Margaret Cavendish

Margaret Cavendish was extraordinary for any time, let alone the 17th century. She was a trailblazer in fiction, writing and publishing what many believe to be the first science fiction book - her 1666 work 'Blazing World' imagined a planet led by an Empress. The story also featured a lesbian affair between the Empress and herself, Margaret Cavendish. Truly, fantastic. She played a provocative and starring role amongst London's elite, and Samuel Pepys was obsessed with meeting her. How did he describe her? Why was she the talk of the town in 17th century London? Joining Kate today is Francesca Peacock, author of Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish. This episode was edited by Teän Stewart-Murray, the producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long. Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code BETWIXTTHESHEETS1 sign up now for your 14-day free trial <a href="https://historyhit/subscription/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://historyhit/subscription/</a>

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced? Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in history class. Everything from landmark LGBTQ+ court cases, to political scandal, to downright bizarre medieval cures for impotence. The etymology of swear words, gender bias in medicine, and satanic panic and cults - there’s nothing off limits. She'll be bed-hopping around different time periods; from ancient civilisations, to the middle ages, to renaissance and early modern...right up to now. You’ll laugh, you’ll wince, and you’ll ask yourself how much has actually changed. So join Kate Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal &amp; Society - a podcast from History Hit. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe</a>. You can take part in our listener survey <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.