A dirty, filthy book

London, 1877. Annie Besant and her confidant Charles Bradlaugh are on trial for the sordid crime of publishing and selling a birth control pamphlet. Remarkably – 45 years before the first woman will be admitted to the English bar – Annie is defending herself – declaring a woman’s right to choose when, and if, to have children. At a time when women were legally and socially subservient to men, Annie’s defiant voice was a sensation. The trial scandalised newspapers, captivated the British public and sparked a debate over morals, censorship and sex. Drawing on unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts – and featuring an incredible cast including Queen Victoria, George Bernard Shaw and London itself – ‘A Dirty, Filthy Book’ tells the gripping story of a forgotten pioneer who refused to accept the role the Establishment assigned to her. Instead, she chose to resist.