{"podcast":{"title":"New Books in Gender","slug":"new-books-in-gender-612984","podcast_index_feed_id":612984,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/LIT3077747900","website_url":"https://newbooksnetwork.com","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f01fabce-f1a3-11e8-8461-f77ace4487d2/image/e2241d70e6072e60f482d28cf495fbab.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"New Books Network","episode_count":1000,"summary":"This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to get informative, engaging content straight to your inbox: ⁠https://newbooksnetwork.substack.com/⁠ Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to learn about more our latest interviews: @newbooksnetwork Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T16:22:32.043062+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-gender-612984"},"episode":{"title":"Eloise Moss, \"The Secret Life of the Hotel: Sex, Crime and Protest in British Guesthouses Since 1918\" (Bloomsbury, 2026)","slug":"eloise-moss-the-secret-life-of-the-hotel-sex-crime-and-protest-in-british-guesthouses-since-1918-bloomsbury-2026","published_at":"2026-05-17T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-gender-612984/eloise-moss-the-secret-life-of-the-hotel-sex-crime-and-protest-in-british-guesthouses-since-1918-bloomsbury-2026","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-gender-612984","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK8878553603.mp3","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK8878553603.mp3","summary":"Hotels represent nations, hosting visiting monarchs, politicians, and diplomats. Hotels underpin global networks of travel and communication, on which national and international prosperity have increasingly depended since the end of the First World War. Yet hotels are also places where people can be anonymous; where murderers and thieves mix with adulterers and con artists; and where prejudice finds expression in who is refused access, and in the forms of 'service' provided by staff in the lowest-paid roles. The Secret Life of the Hotel: Sex, Crime and Protest in British Guesthouses Since 1918 (Bloomsbury, 2026) by Professor Eloise Moss is the first book to uncover how hotels entrenched inequality, prejudice, and exploitation in Britain's tourist sector, and in wider society and culture, during the 20th century.Professor Moss delves into hotel murders, swindles, and scandals, including the history of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, the 'Margate Hotel Murder', and the divorce of Wallis Simpson in 1936 so she could marry King Edward VIII. Professor Moss's exploration of the hotel also shines a light on the fight against the colour bar, the formation of the British civil rights movement, and the visit to London of Martin Luther King Jr.The Secret Life of the Hotel uniquely tells the story of Britain's relationship with the world during the 20th century through the prism of its hotels, showing how their infrastructure and 'welcome' had profound consequences for women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ citizens, and people with disabilities. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozamb…","meta_description":"Hotels represent nations, hosting visiting monarchs, politicians, and diplomats. Hotels underpin global networks of travel and communication, on which nat…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2625,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-gender-612984/episodes/eloise-moss-the-secret-life-of-the-hotel-sex-crime-and-protest-in-british-guesthouses-since-1918-bloomsbury-2026/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-gender-612984/eloise-moss-the-secret-life-of-the-hotel-sex-crime-and-protest-in-british-guesthouses-since-1918-bloomsbury-2026.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}