Cultural historian Tiffany Jenkins explores the evolution of privacy from Ancient Athens to today, arguing that understanding its history is key to protecting it in our tech-driven world. Novelist Geoff Dyer shares nostalgic anecdotes from his working-class childhood, reflecting on the formative impact of the 11-plus exam. Journalist Lanre Bakare highlights untold stories of Black Britain, emphasizing the need for broader representation in national narratives. Together, they dive into the interplay of personal and public life, touching on historical, cultural, and social dynamics.
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insights INSIGHT
Historical Evolution of Privacy
The concept of private life is not universal or natural; it evolved historically from public-private separations in places like Athens.
Privacy initially was not valued and often linked with suspicion or secrecy until modern times.
insights INSIGHT
Privacy Born from Religious Conflict
Modern notions of privacy arose accidentally from religious conflicts and demands for freedom of conscience.
Tolerance and private realms emerged as a way to manage religious diversity and conflict.
insights INSIGHT
Rousseau and Authenticity
Rousseau sparked a romantic veneration of the private self, viewing interiority as more authentic than society.
The 20th century further elevated authenticity as an ideal against hypocrisy and phoniness.
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In 'Spare', Prince Harry shares a candid account of his life, from the profound impact of his mother's death to his military service and his decision to step back from royal duties with his wife, Meghan Markle. The book offers insights into his relationships with his family members and his journey towards healing and self-discovery.
Strangers and Intimates
Tiffany Jenkins
Strangers and Intimates by Tiffany Jenkins traces the dramatic rise of private life from ancient times to the digital age, highlighting its importance as a space for intimacy, self-discovery, and freedom. The book warns that private life is in mortal danger due to state and corporate surveillance, a confessional culture, and the politicization of personal life.
We Were There
The Untold Black British Stories That Shaped Our Country
Lanre Bakare
In this book, Lanre Bakare delves into the often-overlooked aspects of Black British life outside of London. He investigates various moments and artefacts that shape the identity and experiences of Black Britons, offering a confronting yet joyful exploration of what it means to be Black and British.
The cultural historian Tiffany Jenkins looks at the long history of the private life from Ancient Athens to the digital age. In her new book, Strangers and Intimates: The Rise and fall of the Private Life, she examines how our attitudes to the intimate and personal, have shifted over time. She argues that the challenge of big tech is simply the latest development that has seen our private lives increasingly exposed for public consumption. It is only through understanding the history of the very idea of the private life, that we might protect it.
Homework: A Memoir is Geoff Dyer's new book. In it he tells his own story, that of a boy growing up in a working class family in the 1960s and 1970s. He charts the transformative opportunities afforded by the post war settlement for an eleven year old boy who wins a place at a grammar school. Evoking deep personal memories, he explores the challenges of his childhood and teenage years in the mid twentieth century England.
Lanre Bakare is interested in the stories of the Black Britain we don’t often hear – the one that exists beyond London. In moving his focus outside the capital, he explores the economic and social unrest of 1970s and 1980s from very different perspectives. His new book, We Were There: How Black Culture, Resistance and Community Shaped Modern Britain suggests that we need to incorporate a broader range of the experiences of Black Britons into the fabric of our national story.
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