"People have achieved all kinds of crazy things at the age of 18″

ALICE LOXTON talks to Danny Bird about her book on 18 individuals who left an indelible mark on British history before they were out of their teens

- ALICE LOXTON

Danny Bird: Your book explores the lives of 18 figures from across more than 1,000 years of British history, viewing each of them as an 18-year-old. Where did you find the inspiration for this book? And did it prompt you to reflect on your own life at the age of 18?

Alice Loxton: The idea for Eighteen came when I was walking around the National Portrait Gallery in London. Typically, images there show figures from history depicted in later life or in the years of their success. While looking at these portraits of grown-ups, I loved pondering the idea that, once upon a time, they were teenagers, with all the hopes, fears, passions and dreams that adolescents have. So I wanted to shine a light on younger people throughout history. We are living in this wonderful moment at which different groups of people from history are being highlighted, but I don’t know if the 18-year-old age group has ever really been discussed in this way.

When I was 18, my life was straightforward. I finished school, then I was applying to university. That’s probably quite familiar to lots of people today. It’s interesting that, during the 20th century, most people’s lives generally became much more similar, with 18 coming to mark the beginning of adulthood. By contrast, some of the experiences people had at that age further back in history were pretty extreme. I suppose that my 18-year-old self feels quite distant from them.

How did you choose these 18 historical figures?

It was difficult – like that question: “Which famous people would you invite to your dream dinner party?" Ultimately, I chose figures to whom I am personally drawn. These are the people who, if I were watching the Great British Bake Off on TV, I would invite over to watch with me.