Bletchley Park is famous for the British codebreaking effort mounted there during World War II. Less famous is the fact that the vast majority of codebreakers were women. And even less known is that foremost among them was Emily Anderson, the Queen of Codes.
Dr. Jackie Uí Chionna has recently revealed Anderson’s amazing life in her book Queen of Codes: Emily Anderson, The Secret Life of Britain’s’ Greatest Female Codebreaker. Today Uí Chionna, who is one of Ireland’s foremost social and oral historians, will discuss Anderson’s very secret life unknown to even her closest contacts. The story spans over three decades in which Anderson was a leading member of British intelligence. She played key roles in both World Wars, worked in Bletchley Park and in the Middle East, and was considered one of the top three female codebreakers in the world. Secrecy was the keyword of her life, as she also had affairs with other women at a time when this was not generally accepted. In honor of World Pride, Uí Chionna will also explore the range of sexualities within the codebreaking community, particularly during the Second World War at Bletchley Park, and within the wider intelligence community. Uí Chionna will also share the new materials and sources she used to bring Anderson out of the shadows to take her rightful place at the forefront of great British codebreakers.
Following Uí Chionna’s presentation, you’ll be able to ask questions via our online platform.
Auto-generated closed captioning will be available for this program when viewed online.