Longlist
Beyond the Wall East Germany, 1949-1990
Katja Hoyer
The Italian Boy
Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London
Sarah Wise
In 1831, the authorities unearthed a series of crimes at No. 3, Nova Scotia Gardens in East London that appeared to echo the notorious Burke and Hare killings in Edinburgh three years earlier. After a long investigation, it became known that a group of body snatchers were supplying the anatomy schools with fresh ‘examples’ for dissection. The case became known as ‘The Italian Boy’ and caused a furore that led directly to the passing of controversial legislation that marked the beginning of the end of body snatching in Britain.
- First published:
- 2004
- Published by:
- Jonathan Cape
- Length:
- Hardcover 375 pages
About the author
Sarah Wise is a freelance journalist and a regular contributor to The Guardian, Independent on Sunday Review, Observer magazine and The Times. She has also worked on women’s magazines, including Marie Claire. She completed an MA in Victorian Studies at Birkbeck College in 1996. This is her first book.
