Join acclaimed historian Jacqueline Riding in conversation with Lucy Worsley.

An enthralling journey through some of London's hardest streets, in the company of a writer of integrity and passion - Lucy Worsley

A discussion of her forthcoming book, Hard Streets: Working-Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London.

Through the extraordinary rise of Charlie Chaplin—from the harsh streets of Edwardian London to global stardom—Riding uncovers the vibrant, difficult world that shaped him. Her book brings to life the forgotten stories of labourers, performers, mothers, vagrants, and sex workers, revealing a city of hardship, resilience, and radical change.

A compelling journey into the working-class London of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a vivid portrait of a world long vanished but rich with humanity.

Dr Jacqueline Riding is a historian and art historian specialising in British history and art of the long eighteenth century. Former curator of the Palace of Westminster and Director of the Handel House Museum, she is an award-winning author as well as a consultant for museums, galleries, historic buildings and feature films. She was the adviser on Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner (2014), Peterloo (2018) and Wash Westmoreland's Colette (2018).