Last updated on September 7, 2024 – 9:06 AM
The new Storyteller series, Hidden Belfast, Forbidden Love, tells the stories of gay people living in Belfast in the 1930s.
Starring Desmond Eastwood and Jonathan Harden, this five-part drama sheds light on the forgotten diaries of linen merchant David Strain.
David's diary was discovered by Dr Tom Hulme (Queen's University, Belfast) and Professor Leanne McCormick (University of Ulster).
When David died of a stroke in 1969, his diaries (some 38 volumes and over a million words) were deposited in the Northern Ireland Archives, along with his photograph albums, newspaper scrapbooks and letters.
Written between 1920 and 1943, the secret diaries provide the backdrop for a journey from isolation and ignorance to a vibrant world of sexuality, love, and community.
David carefully recorded his own feelings and thoughts about homosexuality as well as the many conversations he had with other gay men.
The diaries left behind provide insight into a world that would otherwise remain largely invisible.
Full episodes of Storytellers: Hidden Belfast, Forbidden Love are available to watch on BBC Sounds from today, Saturday 7 September.
