Dr Brooke Magnanti
| Brooke Magnanti | |
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Brooke Magnanti, 7 June 2010
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| Born | Brooke Magnanti 5 November 1975 New Port Richey, Florida, US |
| Pen name | Belle de Jour, Taro |
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| Nationality |
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| Notable works | The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl |
| Website | |
| belledejour-uk |
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Brooke Magnanti (born November 1975) is an American-born naturalised British research scientist, blogger, and writer, who, until her identity was revealed in November 2009, was known by the pen name Belle de Jour. 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.
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.
Born in the United States to an Italian American father and Jewish American mother, Magnanti was born and grew up in Clearwater, Florida. She graduated from the private Clearwater Central Catholic High School where she was named a National Merit Scholar in 1992.
She entered university at the age of 16, going on to receive a B.S. in 1996 from Florida State University. Relocating to the United Kingdom, Magnanti studied for a master's degree in genetic epidemiology and Ph.D. in forensic science from the University of Sheffield in England.
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