To poet, playwright and writer Aphra Behn, the tale of a runaway aristocrat's daughter Lady Henrietta Berkeley, her scandalous affair and equally dramatic subsequent trial was rich material for some of the most outrageous and bestselling political fiction of the 17th century. However, Behn's own life may have been equally as exciting. Speaking to Emily Briffett, author Lisa Hilton untangles the stories of these two women at the heart of her new book, The Scandal of the Century, to highlight what they can reveal about the lives of women at this time.

(Ad) Lisa Hilton is the author of The Scandal of the Century (Penguin, 2024). buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-scandal-of-the-century%2Flisa-hilton%2F9781405953320.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices