Lianne Dillsworth: Theatre of Marvels

Tickets £5-£16.99.

This is a live, in-person event.

Location: Christ Church Centre, 6A Morningside Road, EH10 4DD

Prepare yourself for an evening of history, mystery and theatricality as Lianne Dillsworth joins us with her gorgeous debut novel, Theatre of Marvels - an immersive historical novel telling the story of a mixed-race woman in the West End of Victorian London. Lianne will be in conversation with fellow author and host of The Shift podcast, Sam Baker.

About the Book:

“Richly evocative and glittering with atmosphere, this tale of ambition and identity had me gripped from start to finish”- Stacey Halls

Zillah has left behind the shadowy slums of St Giles to become the star of Stratton’s Variety Show, cast as ‘The Great Amazonia’ and inciting fear and intrigue in equal measure.

When a new act is introduced – a black woman with vitiligo exhibited as the ‘The Leopard Lady’ – Zillah is forced to confront the dark side of her profession. The woman goes missing and Zillah’s search takes her across London – from the West India docks to the coffee houses of Fleet Street – and finds Zillah caught between both sides of her identity, and between two men: her wealthy white admirer and an African merchant appalled by her act.

Featuring a defiant heroine and a theatrical world of fragile dreams and ruthless ambition, Theatre of Marvels shines a light on the experience of being Black and British in Victorian London through one woman’s journey to live her life on her own terms. Perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern and Elizabeth Macneal.