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

(Hardback)

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Exploring how 18th-century forms and narrative are taken-up, recycled and re-visioned in contemporary media, this book asks which histories are told and by whom. Through essays from international and multidisciplinary scholars and interviews with industry professionals, The 18th Century Today asks what function modern media performs when depicting the 18th century in our current world. Can such works speak to perceived 18th-century ideas and values and, simultaneously, the shifting paradigms of our own time How, and why, should we engage
Highlighting how contemporary depictions of the past give marginalised lives greater visibility, the role genre plays in re-enacting or re-interpreting 18th-century culture, and the potential for modern adaptation to transmute and transcend historical suffering, the essays in this volume dig into adaptation across theatre, film, prose fiction, television and games. Covering works such as The Great, Belle, Bridgerton and Black Sails among many others, this book is both reflection and celebration, an acknowledgement of the 18th centurys traumatic legacies alongside a sense of contemporary cultures capacity for transformation, renewal and justice.

Reviews

The Eighteenth Century Today is an innovative approach to the prevalence of the long eighteenth century in contemporary culture. Contributions range from film, television, and gaming to art, theatre, and museums. Essays tackling enduring questions of class, race, gender, and sexuality and interviews with culture-industry professionals make this a timely contribution. * Nicholas Seager, Head of the School of Humanities, Keele University, UK *

Author Bio

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 Hits 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 Kings 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.