Brooke Magnanti

Brooke Magnanti
Brooke Magnanti on 7 June 2010
Brooke Magnanti on 7 June 2010
BornBrooke Magnanti
(1975-11-05) 5 November 1975 (age 48)
New Port Richey, Florida, US
Pen nameBelle de Jour, Taro
Occupation
Nationality
  • American
  • British
Alma materFlorida State University (BS)
Sheffield University (PhD)
Notable worksThe Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl
Website
belledejour.substack.com

Brooke Magnanti (born 5 November 1975)[1] is an American-born naturalised British[2] former research scientist, blogger, and writer, who, until her identity was revealed in November 2009, was known by the pen name Belle de Jour.[3] While completing her doctoral studies, between 2003 and 2004, Magnanti supplemented her income by working as a London call girl known by the working name Taro.[4]

Her diary, published as the anonymous blog Belle de Jour: Diary of a London Call Girl, became increasingly popular as speculation surrounded the identity of Belle de Jour. Remaining anonymous, Magnanti went on to have her experiences published as The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl in 2005 and The Further Adventures of a London Call Girl in 2006. Her first two books were UK top 10 best-sellers in the nonfiction hardback and nonfiction paperback lists.

In 2007 Belle's blogs and books were adapted into a television programme, Secret Diary of a Call Girl starring Billie Piper as Belle, with the real name Hannah Baxter. In November 2009, fearing her real identity was about to come out, Magnanti revealed her real name and occupation as a child health scientist.

She is honoured in BBC's 100 Women in 2013 and 2014.[5][6]

  1. ^ Brooke Leigh Magnanti (2011). "The Gyst of It: Autumn Sweeties". Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  2. ^ Magnanti, Dr Brooke (28 March 2013). "Why is Jacqui Smith welcoming me as a British citizen in 2013?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference times was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "New Escort and PhD Babe". Archived from the original on 10 May 2004.
  5. ^ "100 Women: Who took part?". BBC. 22 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Who are the 100 Women 2014?". BBC News. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2018.