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Jan 16

‘..a gripping and startling account of the arrest and prosecution of two Victorian drag queens’

I was recently interviewed by New Books in Biography about Fanny & Stella. You can read part of the review below or listen to me being interviewed here

‘Through meticulous research and lush, incisive prose, McKenna presents a gripping and startling account of the arrest and prosecution of two Victorian drag queens. It’s a deft performance that strikes a tricky balance, playfully re-creating the underworld of 19th century London and the colorful personalities who inhabited it, whilst simultaneously conveying the importance of what is at stake for the people involved and society at-large. Make no mistake, this is a serious book, but one which is nonetheless shot through with the joie de vivre and chutzpah characteristic of the charming Miss Fanny Park and Miss Stella Boulton themselves.

For readers who believe biography can only be written in one particular way, Fanny & Stella may induce an apoplectic fit. But, for those eager for innovation and displays of daring within the field, Fanny & Stella promises an exciting encounter with something alarming and bold and bright and new.’