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

<p>Margaret Cavendish was extraordinary for <em>any</em> time, let alone the 17th century.</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>The story also featured a lesbian affair between the Empress and herself, Margaret Cavendish. Truly, fantastic.</p><br><p>She played a provocative and starring role amongst London's elite, and Samuel Pepys was obsessed with meeting her.</p><br><p>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 <em>Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish. </em></p><br><p>This episode was edited by Teän Stewart-Murray, the producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>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></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>