How did ordinary Victorians go about telling their life stories? By writing a book, of course.

Ad

In this bonus episode accompanying the HistoryExtra podcast series The Tiger Tamer Who Went to Sea, David Musgrove speaks to Professor Valerie Sanders of the University of Hull about the trend for life writing, which spiked as literacy rates improved in the 19th century.

Authors

Dr David MusgroveContent director, HistoryExtra.com

David Musgrove is content director of the HistoryExtra.com website and podcast, plus its sister print magazines BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. He has a PhD in medieval landscape archaeology and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Ad
Ad
Ad