three incredible 18th-century hoaxes.
About this Event
HOAX: Truth & Lies in the Age of Enlightenment
By Madeleine Pelling
Here lies Fanny Lynes, whose whispers from beyond the grave set London alight with scandal.
Here swings Mary Bateman, who lived a life of lies – and died a prophetess and murderer.
Here stands Mary Willcocks. Or is it Anne Burgess? Or Princess Caraboo, from the distant island of Javasu?
A ghost. A witch. A princess.
This is a story of those who lie. And of those who choose to believe them.
The discoveries of the Enlightenment unsettled as much as they excited. New truths challenged longstanding beliefs.
Rationalism jarred with superstition. Which voices would be heard in this ferocious battle for certainty?
From the chaos, three women and their hoaxes rose as symbols of terror and fascination. But were the lies surrounding Fanny Lynes, Mary Bateman and Mary Willcocks entirely of their own making? Why were the public transfixed?
Questioning culpability and complicity, Pelling’s engrossing history of this great age of the hoax reveals a veiled world of moral panic, tall tales and true crime, and holds a mirror to our own turbulent relationship with truth.
Copies of HOAX: Truth & Lies in the Age of Enlightenment by Madeleine Pelling will be available to purchase at the event.
Your ticket includes an Exclusive Evening Viewing of Dr Johnson's House Museum along with a welcome drink.
Madeleine Pelling will also sign your copy of HOAX: Truth & Lies in the Age of Enlightenment
Doors open, Museum viewing & welcome drinks: 6pm
Talk starts 6.30pm.
Event ends 8pm.
Madeleine Pelling
Madeleine Pelling is co-host of History Hit's popular After Dark podcast and author of Writing On the Wall. She is an award-winning cultural historian, author and broadcaster. A regular contributor for television and radio, she also writes for the Guardian, Independent, BBC History Magazine and History Today, amongst others.
Praise for HOAX: Truth & Lies in the Age of Enlightenment
‘Pelling finds exciting new ways to tell important stories’ Dan Snow, creator of HISTORY HIT
‘Scintillating … a thrill ride through the filthy streets and dank rooms of Georgian England where the lies and deceptions that fooled a nation were born’ Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five
'Pelling is a magnetic writer who leads us by the hand through a fascinating and slippery world' Lucy Worsley
Written with narrative flair and rigorous scholarship, Pelling is a truly skilled guide to the Enlightenment' Helen Carr, author of Sceptred Isle
‘With her signature blend of wit, scholarship, and narrative verve, Pelling guides us through the darker corners of Georgian England and beyond' Anthony Delaney, author of Queer Georgians
Please note, we have limited capacity and early booking is recommended.
Accessibility: There is regrettably no step-free access to Dr Johnson's House. There are 7 steps to access the entrance (with a handrail). The building is a 4-storey townhouse with a staircase between each floor. There are handrails on each side of the staircase. The event takes place on the top floor. Toilets are located down a steep set of stairs.
Event venue & nearby stays
Dr Johnson's House, 17 Gough Square, London, United Kingdom
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