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DEAD FAMOUS: An Unexpected History of Celebrity, Book Talk, LONDON

When: 12th March 2020, 7pm
Where: Southwark Cathedral
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A witty, rich and surprising history of celebrity by the historical consultant to Horrible Histories

Historian, broadcaster and author Greg Jenner discusses his new publication Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity.

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Celebrity, with its neon glow and selfie pout, strikes us as hypermodern.But the famous and infamous have been thrilling, titillating, and outraging us for much longer than we might realise. Whether it was the scandalous Lord Byron, whose poetry sent female fans into an erotic frenzy; or the cheetah-owning, coffin-sleeping, one-legged French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who launched a violent feud with her former best friend; or Edmund Kean, the dazzling Shakespearean actor whose monstrous ego and terrible alcoholism saw him nearly murdered by his own audience – the list of stars whose careers burned bright before the Age of Television is extensive and thrillingly varied.Celebrities could be heroes or villains; warriors or murderers; brilliant talents, or fraudsters with a flair for fibbing; trendsetters, wilful provocateurs, or tragic victims marketed as freaks of nature. Some craved fame while others had it forced upon them. A few found fame as small children, some had to wait decades to get their break. But uniting them all is the shared origin point: since the early 1700s, celebrity has been one of the most emphatic driving forces in popular culture; it is a lurid cousin to Ancient Greek ideas of glorious and notorious reputation, and its emergence helped to shape public attitudes to ethics, national identity, religious faith, wealth, sexuality, and gender roles.In this ambitious history, that spans the Bronze Age to the coming of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Greg Jenner assembles a vibrant cast of over 125 actors, singers, dancers, sportspeople, freaks, demigods, ruffians, and more, in search of celebrity’s historical roots. He reveals why celebrity burst into life in the early eighteenth century, how it differs to ancient ideas of fame, the techniques through which it was acquired, how it was maintained, the effect it had on public tastes, and the psychological burden stardom could place on those in the glaring limelight. DEAD FAMOUS is a surprising, funny, and fascinating exploration of both a bygone age and how we came to inhabit our modern, fame obsessed society.

Hilarious Histories: What’s So Funny About The Past?

When: BBC Radio 4 Extra, 16th February 2019
Where: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0002mnk
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Listen now to this fun 3 hour radio show for BBC Radio 4 Extra, where I ask why history has proved to be such a reliably fertile source for comedy? Exploring Blackadder, Monty Python, The Goons, Mitchell & Webb, Austentatious, Pauline Pepys’ Dowry, and several other shows, it includes interviews with Stephen Fry, Andrew Hunter-Murray, Cariad Lloyd, Natalie Haynes and Ben Ward. Plus we play brilliant comedy shows and clips from the BBC archives. It’s a proper hoot!

 

HistFest – A Million Years In A Day

When: 8th December 2018, 10am
Where: The Hatton, 51-53 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8HN
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Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, historian Greg Jenner reveals a story 1 million years in the making.

£12.50

Richard Herring Leicester Square Theatre Podcast

When: 6th November 2017 - now available on YouTube
Where: YouTube
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Inside Versailles, series 2 – BBC Two

When: Friday nights for 10 weeks, from April 21st onwards.
Where: BBC Two & BBC iPlayer
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Join historians Greg Jenner & Professor Kate Williams as they go inside Versailles to provide historical context to every episode of BBC Two’s lavish Louis XIV drama, VERSAILLES. They’ll sometimes be joined by other expert historians, offering up a focused insight into life and culture at the court of 17th century Europe’s most powerful ruler

Chipping Norton Book Festival

When: Sunday 30th April, 11am
Where: Chipping Norton Town Hall
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FROM STONE AGE TO PHONE AGE

Suitable for CHILDREN-AND-YOUNG-PEOPLE

£7.50 each

Greg Jenner is a British public historian with a particular interest in communicating history through pop culture. Though he regularly pops up on TV, radio and podcasts, Greg is best known as the Historical Consultant to the BBC’s multi-award-winning children’s comedy series Horrible Histories, having been solely responsible for the factual accuracy of (thus far…) over 1,600 sketches and 100+ comedy songs. He is also the author of the cheerfully entertaining bestseller, A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Ordinary Life, From Stone Age to Phone Age. 

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A Curious History of Ordinary Daily Life – Archway With Words Festival

When: SAT 22ND OCT, 2016 12:45pm
Where: LONDON : Archway Methodist Church
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ARCHWAY WITH WORDS BOOK FESTIVAL

Every day, we take part in rituals that are millennia old. Greg Jenner’s witty and illuminating book reveals their astonishing origins and development. Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? Jenner scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us a smorgasbord of historical delights reveals how we got from huddling around an open fire in animal skins to becoming the smartphone-wielding metropolitans we are today.

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Yeovil Literary Festival

When: 21st October 2016, 8pm - Manor Hotel
Where: Yeovil Literary Festival, the Manor Hotel
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From Stone Age to Phone Age: The History of Your Morning Routines.

Every day of our lives, we go through the same basic rituals and routines that our ancestors also practised – washing, using the toilet, eating, drinking, communicating, socializing, walking the dog etc.

In this cheerfully entertaining talk, historian Greg Jenner (Historical Consultant to BBC’s Horrible Histories, and co-host of BBC2’s Inside Versailles) offers a whistle-stop tour of how your morning routines evolved over millennia.

This talk is suitable for families.

Tickets: £9
Members: £7.50

A £1 Ticket Levy is included in all stated ticket prices.

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Fri 21 Oct 8:00PM, The Manor HotelPaperback cover A Million Years

 

Inside Versailles, BBC2

When: Wednesdays at 10.25pm - June 1st until 3rd August
Where: BBC2
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Inside Versailles 2

Love VERSAILLES on BBC2? Join Greg and Professor Kate Williams as they discuss the historical context behind every episode of BBC2’s lavish new costume drama. Watch episode 1 here

Museum of Curiosity

When: 6.30pm, 18th January 2016
Where: BBC Radio 4
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Greg is a guest on Radio 4’s Museum of Curiosity show, alongside mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and veteran comedian Ken Dodd. The presenter is John Lloyd and the Series Curator is comedian Sarah Millican.  Museum of Curiosity

The Great History Quiz – BBC2, 9pm on Christmas Eve!

When: 9pm, Christmas Eve 2015
Where: BBC2 & iPlayer
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Greg made his TV debut in a one-off Tudor quiz for BBC2! You can watch it here TGHQ-Logo He is joined by team captains Dan Snow & Dr Lucy Worsley, plus fellow panellists Dr Jonathan Foyle, Prof. Kate Williams, and Dr Anna Whitelock.

It’s a tricky quiz to test the nation, and some leading historians, on all aspects of Tudor history – including rounds dedicated to food, medicine, music and recovered treasures from the sunken Mary Rose warship.

 

A Curious History of Everyday Life – The Spring, Havant

When: 23rd January 2016, 7.30pm
Where: THE SPRING, HAVANT
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Tickets: £12.50, £11.25 (concessions)

Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock?

In this enjoyably amusing talk inspired by his book A Million Years In A Day, Greg guides us through the historical evolution of our morning routines, revealing that much of what we do every day began in the Stone Age.

Greg Jenner is the Historical Consultant to CBBC’s multi-award winning Horrible Histories, Horrible Histories with Stephen Fry, and more.

As well as contributing sketches he has been solely responsible for the factual accuracy of nearly one thousand comedy sketches with subject matter that has spanned the entirety of human history.

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History’s Worst & Weirdest – The Spring, Havant

When: 23rd January 2016, 2.30pm
Where: The Spring, Havant
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Tickets: £8, Family of four: £28 BUY TICKETS HERE

Some things history are weird, some are outrageous and some are just plain disgusting.

Join us for this special event for families where Greg will talk us through his favourite bits of history that will make you go “URGH!”. Accompanied by some fun clips from the TV show, Greg’s list includes the cruellest sports, the weirdest medical cures, the most terrible rulers, and lots more! From William the Conqueror’s exploding corpse to King John’s ineptitude, and from his favourite heroine in history through to the worst despot of all…

Suitable for children age 6+ and their family and friends.

Greg Jenner is the Historical Consultant to CBBC’s multi-award winning Horrible Histories, Horrible Histories with Stephen Fry, and more.

A Million Years In A Day – Henley-On-Thames Literary Festival

When: October 3rd 2015, 1pm
Where: Henley-on-Thames Literary Festival
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An Extraordinary History of Ordinary Daily Life, BBC HISTORY WEEKEND, MALMESBURY – October 17th 2015

When: October 17th 2015, 3.45pm
Where: Malmesbury
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Every day of our lives, we go through the same basic rituals and routines that our ancestors also practised – washing, using the toilet, eating, drinking, communicating, socializing, walking the dog etc. In this cheerfully entertaining talk, historian Greg Jenner (Historical Consultant to CBBC’s ‘Horrible Histories’) guides us through a whistle-stop tour of how these routines have evolved since the Stone Age, using examples drawn from his book ‘A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Everyday Life, From The Stone Age To The Phone Age’.

A Million Years In A day, HARROGATE HISTORY FESTIVAL, October 24th 2015, 2PM

When: October 24th 2015
Where: Harrogate
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A Million Years In A Day – SHEFFIELD’S OFF THE SHELF FESTIVAL, October 25th

When: October 25th 2015, 2pm
Where: Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
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A Million Years In A Day, CHALKE VALLEY HISTORY FESTIVAL 2015 – June 28th

When: June 28th, 3.15pm
Where: Chalke Valley History Festival
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Historian Greg Jenner will take an ordinary day as his template to reveal the astonishing origins and evolution of the practices we take for granted. Drawn from across the world and spanning a million years of humanity, this smorgasbord of historical delights will reveal how we got from huddling around a fire to becoming the smartphone-wielding metropolitans we are today.

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Horrible Histories: Behind The Scenes – Chalke Valley History Festival, June 28th 2015

When: Sunday 28th June, 2015 - 11.30am
Where: Chalke Valley History Festival
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A panel discussion between the producers & writers of the BBC TV show and the illustrator of the book series, Martin Brown.

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History’s Weirdest & Worst, CHALKE VALLEY HISTORY FESTIVAL 2015 – June 27th

When: June 27th 2015, 1.30pm
Where: Chalke Valley History Festival 2015
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Greg Jenner is Historical Consultant to CBBC’s multi-award-winning sketch show, Horrible Histories, and wrote many of the sketches and songs for the series. He will be talking about some of the weirdest, most disgusting, outrageous and extraordinary historical stories, from William the Conqueror’s exploding corpse to King John’s ineptitude, and from his favourite heroine in history through to the worst despot of all…

FOR CHILDREN 6+

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A Million Years In A Day – YORK FESTIVAL OF IDEAS 2015 – 13th June, 12pm

When: June 13th, 12pm, Ron Cooke Hub
Where: York Festival of Ideas
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Saturday 13 June, 12 noon to 1pm, Ron Cooke Hub, Free tickets:

www.yorkfestivalofideas.com/tickets 01904 322622

Every day of our lives, we go through the same basic rituals and routines such as washing, using the toilet, eating and communicating. In this talk, historian and historical consultant to CBBC’s multi-award winning Horrible Histories, Greg Jenner, guides us through the story of how these routines have evolved since the Stone Age.

A Million Years In A Day – HAY LITERARY FESTIVAL, May 23rd 2015

When: May 23rd 2015, 2.30pm
Where: Hay Literary festival
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Missed this event? Read The Daily Telegraph’s summary here

EveGreg Jennernt 48Venue: Telegraph Stage

Who invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock? In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history Greg Jenner, historical consultant to Horrible Histories, explores the gradual and often unexpected evolution of our daily routines.

An Evening with Greg Jenner – TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN. March 3rd, 7pm, Free entry

When: March 3rd 2015, 7pm
Where: Robert Emmet Theatre, Trinity College Dublin
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Mark Watson’s Comic Relief 27 Hour Comedy Marathon – February 28th 2015

When: February 28th 2015
Where: Pleasance Theatre, Islington
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Greg did a 9 hour shift at Mark Watson’s epic Comic Relief event.

Keeping Clean: The Surprising History of Everyday Hygiene, Feb 25th, CAMBRIDGE

When: February 25th 2015, 7.30pm
Where: Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge
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In celebration of Thomas Hobson’s Conduit, that brought fresh water to Cambridge, join Greg Jenner – Historical Consultant to CBBC’s Horrible Histories, and author of the new book A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Everyday Life – as he discusses the surprising history of personal hygiene and public sanitation. In conversation with Professor Helen Weinstein, Greg will explore the toilet habits of rich and poor: from Bronze Age plumbing, to Tudor England’s first flushing loo, all the way to Thomas Crapper’s famous washout closets. He’ll also explain the strange story of how bathing fell out of fashion; first with the rise of Christianity in Late Antiquity, and then with the burgeoning science of the 17th century (when Francis Bacon so feared bathing in water he devised a bizarre 26 hour-long safety bath). We’ll also hear about the history of soap, deodorant, toilet paper and toothpaste in what will be a light-hearted but stimulating evening.    All Welcome!

 

 

A Curious History of Daily Life – Book chat with Al Murray – WATERSTONES PICCADILLY, London, Feb 4th, Tickets £3

When: 7pm – February 4th 2015. Tickets £3
Where: Waterstones Piccadilly, London
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Join Greg Jenner (historical consultant for CBBC’s Horrible Histories), and comedian Al Murray, for a light hearted evening of learning and laughing, as they discuss Greg’s charming new book A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Everyday Life, From Stone Age To Phone Age. This promises to be an evening of historical delights, revealing the fascinating origins of our modern daily routines. Greg will be happy to answer questions, sign his book, host a mini-quiz and will even be bringing cake for everyone!

Further details: 0207851240