This is Orlando, a podcast about the history of women's writing from medieval times to the present. 

This episode is about queer identities and creativity in early-twentieth century fiction and culture. We  interview Dr. Jana Funke from the University of Exeter about Radclyffe Hall, whose life and writing have been coloured by scandal, destruction, tenacity, and revision. 

Hall is best known for her landmark lesbian novel, The Well of Loneliness, which was published, tried for obscenity in a London courtroom, and banned in 1928. The book lacks explicit sex scenes and lingers on the struggles of its characters’ lives, and initial reviews were mixed. But  its unapologetic focus on lesbian lives was enough to get it banned in the UK shortly after its first publication and secure a prominent place in twentieth-century literary history. 

Contemporary readers may find the Well of Loneliness to be somewhat muted, even dry, falling short of their expectations for one of the most controversial novels of the recent past. But Funke argues that the novel--and the trajectory of Hall’s life--have much to offer us. In this conversation, we explore the suppleness of language, including the language of pronouns, across historical periods and the importance of bringing together archival and published texts to create rich narratives about authors’ lives, literature, and their reputation among readers of multiple generations.