Greg Jenner’s new book, ‘Dead Famous’ is launched today. The public historian and University of York Alumni is known for his entertaining and engaging communication of history through pop culture and humour. He is the consultant on the HORRIBLE HISTORIES books and TV series and the BAFTA-nominated HORRIBLE HISTORIES: THE MOVE- ROTTEN ROMANS. He also wrote the action-packed bestseller ‘A Million Years in a Day’. Greg is also an Hon Research Associate at Royal Holloway, University of London.

His latest publication, researched and written over the past four years, ‘Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity, From Bronze Age to Silver Screen’ is a romp through the story of fame and fanhood. It explores the notion of ‘celebrity’ –which he claims is not a recent phenomenon– from its beginnings 300 years ago to the 1950’s, packed with anecdotes of famed individuals. He insists he’s ‘an historian of celebrity’ and not a ‘celebrity historian’, a term used in his Wikipedia page, which he is uncomfortable about.

Fara Dabhoiwala’s review in The Guardian said, “Jenner is equal parts wide-eyed historical buff and sassy polemist… who can’t help but entertain you, even as he’s pouring facts down your throat.” One chapter is entitled ‘The Fandom Menance’ and he describes Lord Byron as a “talented, pouty shag merchant with lustrous hair,” or Florence Nightingale as a “badass epidemiologist with a perch ant for pie chart innovation.” He even includes one of the Europe’s biggest celebrities, a 5,000 pound Indian rhino called Clara in the 1740’s. Greg’s personal favourite is alcoholic and celebrated Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean, who was nearly murdered by his own audience in the 1820’s.

My wife Frankie, who’s a big fan of Greg’s BBC Sounds podcast YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, and I joined a freshly hand sanitized, pandemic aware audience at the impressive Southwark Cathedral near London Bridge last week to hear Greg deliver an illustrated intro to ‘Dead Famous’ and sign advanced copies… as well as this quick sketch I did of him.