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To be gay in the 1700s meant facing imprisonment, pillorying, and even execution. Indeed, homosexuality was seen not so much as a natural attraction to one's own sex, but rather as a form of misogynistic disease; a plague or infestation so toxic, there were proposals to punish 'sodomites' within prison walls to protect innocents from infection.

Yet, in spite of draconian laws and the very real risk of hanging, men in Georgian London appear to have been cavorting as 'mollies' in increasing numbers. From where did the term 'molly' appear? What secret rituals did they celebrate? What precisely were molly houses and molly markets, and what did these furtive yet flamboyant fellows get up to (or down to) within these shrouded sanctuaries?

Join Andrew Copson in conversation with award-winning historical novelist AJ West as he leads us on an unforgettable guided tour deep into the bowels of London's gay underground, and discusses his new novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True.

AJ West is an award-winning former BBC journalist and broadcaster from Buckinghamshire. He has also written for national newspapers and magazines and has appeared on national television programmes, including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning, and the legendary reality television show Big Brother where he became an instant household name… though the specific household is yet to be identified.

The son of primary school teachers, he grew up reading books to escape his shyness at school and discovered an early talent for writing, which took him around the world producing popular news programmes and documentaries.

Today, AJ lives in South London with his husband, Nicholas Robinson.

The Betrayal of Thomas True

Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The visceral, raucous, tender and enchanting historical thriller by the award-winning author of The Spirit Engineer.

‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated from the start … you won't want to put it down’ Catriona Ward

‘A rare gem of a novel. Gloriously gritty … a darkly thrilling romp in 18th century London that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation’ Susan Stokes-Chapman

‘Stunning and powerful – an atmospheric thriller that is both heartfelt and meticulously researched. You’ll never forget Thomas True’ Janice Hallett

‘Really very, very good’ Stephen Fry
 
WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN