Discover the extraordinary diaries of the real Anne Lister: the inspiration behind Gentleman Jack and Emma Donoghue's new novel, Learned By Heart.

"Fascinating, revelatory, sometimes just astonishing" - SARAH WATERS

"Her sense of self and self-awareness are what make her modern for us... The diaries gave me courage" - JEANETTE WINTERSON

"Lister's diaries are the Dead Sea Scrolls of lesbian history" - EMMA DONOGHUE

When this volume of Anne Lister's diaries was first published in 1988, it was hailed as a vital piece of lost lesbian history. The editor, Helena Whitbread, had spent years in meticulous research and transcription of Lister's extensive diaries, many of which were written in a complex code - what Lister referred to as "crypt hand," allowing her to record her life in intimate and, at times, explicit detail. Until then, Anne Lister's lesbian identity had been suppressed or hinted at; this was the first time her story had been truthfully told.

Anne Lister defied the female roles of the 19th century: she was bold, fiercely independent, a landowner, industrialist, traveler, and lesbian - a woman who lived her life on her own terms.

These diaries cover the years 1816-1824. The second volume, continuing Anne's story, THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS ANNE LISTER: NO PRIEST BUT LOVE, is now available.

Pages: 448, Publication Year: 1115, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm