The Strange History of Samuel Pepys’s Diary

Professor Kate Loveman offers a fascinating insight into the secret and scandalous diary of Samuel Pepys and how it has become part of the history of the nation.

About the event

During the 1660s, Samuel Pepys kept a secret diary full of intimate details and political scandal. Had the contents been revealed at the time, they could have destroyed his marriage, ended his career and seen him arrested.

Kate Loveman explores the creation of the most famous journal in the English language, how it came to be published in 1825, and how its vivid account of Restoration London has influenced our understanding of history.

As one of the few people who can read Pepys’s shorthand, Kate will show how he disguised his secrets and will address the mystery of why he ultimately chose to preserve his diary for future generations

For 200 years, Pepys’s entertaining, shocking and strange record has continued to spark debate about what counts as ‘history’ and about whose stories are worth telling.

Additional information

This event is eligible for our 20% ticket bundle discount.

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About the speaker

Kate Loveman is Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture at the University of Leicester and an internationally recognised expert on Pepys and Restoration literature. She is the author of ‘Reading Fictions, 1660–1740: Deception in English Literary and Political Culture’, ‘Samuel Pepys and his Books: Reading, Newsgathering and Sociability, 1660–1703’, and the editor of ‘The Diary of Samuel Pepys’ for Everyman.