On Wednesday, November 11, BBC Two released information about their new film, the working title of which is The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister.

Anne Lister (1791 – 1840) was living in Yorkshire County (Great Britain). She was a scholar, landowner, philanthropist, industrialist (was the colliery-owner), traveler and diarist.

Anne Lister is considered by many researchers to be “the first modern lesbian”, who, despite needing to keep her orientation secret from her contemporary society, but in private defied the conventions of her times by living with her female partner Ann Walker, whom she even married, eventually causing incitement against her from the society.

Lister died of a fever in Kutaisi, Georgia while traveling with Walker, after what Walker had brought her body back to England, Southowram (West Yorkshire), where she is buried.

Lister kept a detailed account of her private life in a fascinating and painfully honest four million word diary. A sizeable portion of the manuscript was written in code, though recently it was deciphered.

Anne Lister’s diaries and the author’s truly extraordinary life form the basis of the film The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister. It is produced by Mark Bentley. The filming has started from November, 2009 and it airs in spring of 2010. The movie-showing will be preceded by one-hour documentary that will tell the life-story of Anne Lister and the decoding of her diaries. The documentary will be presented by the famous comic-writer Sue Perkins.

Starring as Anne Lister, actress Maxine Peake says: “Anne Lister was a extraordinary woman who, up to recently, has only really been documented in lesbian history. Hopefully, with this film and documentary, she will reach a wider audience exposing them to this inspirational and formidable woman. I am honoured but petrified to be embarking on the role of such a pioneering lady!”