News

Bonnets at Dawn

We are delighted to welcome the Literary Thunderdome that is Bonnets at Dawn to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House for a week from 3 December.

Lauren Burke and Hannah Chapman (aka Bonnets at Dawn) go head to head to compare and contrast the lives and work of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters via comics, essays, social media and a weekly podcast – BUT we’ve managed to tempt them to add another bonnet into the mix – our very own Elizabeth Gaskell.

In anticipation of their visit Bonnets at Dawn have been reading (and re-reading) North and South via their podcast series (we implore you to listen if you haven’t already- see links below) with their unique blend of humorous exploration, discussion and debate.

During their visit to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in December the duo will not only be recording a number of Podcasts (including an audio tour of the house) and doing a couple of facebook live videos, but they will also be helping out in the tearoom, joining our guided tours and grilling our volunteers for house gossip in true Elizabeth Gaskell style.

As part of their road trip to Manchester they will also be involved in a panel discussion on Thursday 7 December which will explore the friendship between Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell. Lauren and Hannah will be joined by Amy Rowbottom from the Brontë Parsonage and will welcome questions and contributions from the audience. This event is free (usual house admission applies) but we do advise reserving a seat.

In the meantime you can listen to the North & South podcast as per the links below. Happy listening and reading!

 

 

And in case you were wondering who Bonnets at Dawn were….

Hannah K Chapman (Team Austen) is a comics writer and printmaker living and working in Bristol. She is the founder of Comic Book Slumber Party, has written about comics for Off Life and Forbidden Planet International, and works as an editor at Blank Slate Books.

Lauren Burke (Team Brontë) has been an Anglophile ever since she read The Secret Garden at the age of seven and asked her mother if they could move from Ohio to “The Moors.” She now lives in Chicago with her husband John and their dog Watson, but visits her beloved England twice a year. Lauren spends most of her time writing and editing comics and children’s books. She is best known for writing P.I. Jane and I’m Not OmniGirl, and has served as editor for the Ladies’ Night Anthology for five years. She is currently working on a book entitled Divide & Conquer about the rise of women in comics.

Find out more at https://unbound.com/books/austen-vs-bronte