[4] The Anne Lister diaries decoded by Whitbread are recognized by The United Nations as a ‘pivotal’ set of documents in British history; in 2011, they were added to the Memory of the World Register.
Once her manuscript was accepted for publication she advised the school Director that what she would be publishing would contain graphic content and intimate details of lesbian sexuality.
Instead Monsignor recognised the importance of the work and the impact it would have; he told Whitbread “you have lit a fuse (for social change).”[citation needed] Lister's lifestory has been adapted for television in a joint production by HBO and the BBC titled Gentleman Jack, which consisted of two series.
[citation needed] Whitbread's book The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister was the inspiration for the song played at the end of the aforementioned television series.
[6] Whitbread was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to history and literature.