COMING JULY 2026…

SEEKING MEA ALLAN – Fleet Street’s Forgotten Pioneer

War correspondent Mea Allan was a household name during World War II. She interviewed IRA bombmakers and was the only woman to report from Belsen – but she had a secret life. A story of forbidden love, prejudice and the treasures to be uncovered in archives.

One of a handful of women reporters in National newspapers in World War II, Mea made her mark as a campaigning journalist and was the first woman on a Fleet Street news desk. Her pioneering career provides a fascinating insight into life as a queer woman in a world where exposure could have devastating consequences. After Fleet Street, Mea had a career as a novelist, biographer, composer and playwright. Former journalist Felicity Goodall pursues scattered archive fragments to build the story of a fascinating life.