The 18th Century Today Literature and Media from Beauty and the Beast to Bridgerton

Madeleine Pelling is a cultural historian, author and award-winning broadcaster. She holds a PhD from the University of York, UK, and has held research fellowships at the universities of Yale, Edinburgh and Manchester. Her books include Writing on the Wall: Graffiti, Rebellion and the Making of Eighteenth-Century Britain (2024), Hoax: A History of Truth, Lies and Enlightenment (2026) and her words appear in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent and BBC History Magazine. She is co-host of History Hit's ARIA-nominated After Dark podcast, and is a regular presenter and expert contributor across television and radio, working with BBC, Channel 4, Sky Arts, Warner Bros, History Hit and Times Radio.

Emrys D. Jones is Senior Lecturer in 18th-Century Literature and Culture at King's College, London, UK. He is the author of Friendship and Allegiance in Eighteenth-Century Literature (2013) and co-editor of essay collections about 18th-century celebrity and sociability. He has written articles and book chapters on a broad range of topics relating to intersections of public and private life in the long 18th century. He also hosted the podcast Pop Enlightenments (2017-2020) and is currently the General Editor of the Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies.