Forbidden Books

Forbidden Books

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Sex Work in Colonial India

When the British Empire colonised India, how did it treat their different ideas about sex? How did they treat sex workers like the Devadasi, meaning 'slave of God'? And did the Victorians fetishise Indian sexuality?Joining Kate today is the magnificent Anjali Arondekar, Professor ...  Show more

How Scandalous Were Masquerade Balls?

Faces covered, identities unknown - masquerade balls sound like a place of anonymity and, therefore, SCANDAL.But how true is this in the 18th Century? Could people sneak in unrecognised like they do in Bridgerton? And how much would people be misbehaving inside?Kate is joined for ...  Show more

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Viking Sex
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Alexander The Great's Sex Life
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This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature.


Did Alexander the Great and the Queen of the Amazons really have sex for 13 days solid? What do we know about his male lovers? And how did his sex life stand up to that of his dad’s?


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Sappho: The Poet from Lesbos
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Famous throughout antiquity, yet retold only in fragments today - who is Sappho? Her poetry inspired generations, from Catullus to Byron, so how come we know so little about her life? This week Tristan is joined by Professor Margaret Reynolds from Queen Mary University in ...

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History Behind the Headlines: student protests down the centuries
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