Blogs & News

: New Exhibition: Tales of Manchester Life – Elizabeth Gaskell’s Manchester

A new exhibition exploring how Elizabeth Gaskell presented Manchester and its people through her novels and short stories, and the impact she had through her writing. Elizabeth was a true radical of her time, but as a woman, the influence and importance of her writing has not been recognised by history in the way that it has for her contemporaries such as Charles Dickens.  Elizabeth’s writings about the industrial North made a huge impression to her contemporaries, not just

: Sylvia’s Lovers on Radio 4 Extra

Two part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Sylvia's Lovers - available for 30 Days. Each episode is 1 hour. Click on the link below. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b073mh6k    

: Tales of Mystery & the Macabre social media read along

Emboldened by the enthusiasm of our followers and supporters we are now moving on to something a little different from Elizabeth Gaskell’s back catalogue, Tales of Mystery & the Macabre. This is a collection of short stories and we plan to discuss three stories specifically and then have a general discussion about the others in the final week. We hope that those who asked for Wives and Daughters or Cranford won’t be too disappointed – their time will come!

: “My Dear Mr Ruskin….” Friendship, Inspiration and Scandal.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House explores the friendship between the Gaskell family and John Ruskin in this exhibition as part of The Ruskin Bicentenary on 2019. Often at odds with their contemporaries, John Ruskin and Elizabeth Gaskell were controversial writers, often sharing the same ideals. Elizabeth openly took sides when Ruskin’s wife, Effie, left him, commenting in a letter that “…She really is very close to a charming character; if she had had the small pox she would have been

: Easter Events

Join us for family fun at the House this Easter, with Easter egg trails, Easter crafts, visits from our Victorian servants, and more throughout the Easter holidays. "There was Easter proper, which always required new clothing of some kind, for fear of certain consequences from little birds, who were supposed to resent the impiety of those who do not wear some new article of dress on Easter-day…So piety demanded a new bonnet, or a new gown" Elizabeth Gaskell,