Blogs & News

: The Music of Elizabeth Gaskell

See for yourself the original hand-copied music books that belonged to Elizabeth, and listen to some of her music played by Robert Nichols at this free event. In partnership with Manchester Libraries, we are delighted that Elizabeth's music books will be on display at the house on Thursday 14 June, and that our house pianist will play from the collection. Manchester Libraries will give a short talk about the books at 11.30am and 2pm, and you'll be able

: Raucous Afternoon Teatime

Raucous:  meaning 'boisterous and disorderly...' Back by popular demand! Join us for a raucous afternoon of riotous tales about famous, infamous and downright outrageous characters from our great city – and of course home-made cake and House-blend tea or fresh filter coffee. Bring friends, or prepare to make new ones, and hold tight to your china teacup as our feisty housekeeper regales you with stories of Manchester’s most interesting characters: feisty activists, ground-breaking scientists, radical writers, and a few

: Commonword – International Mother Language Day

Commonword at Elizabeth Gaskell's House - join us on International Mother Language Day as part of Manchester’s UNESCO City of Literature series. Poets will read from their work in the splendid surroundings of Elizabeth Gaskell's House, reflecting on translation, writing in multiple languages, and linguistic creativity. Poets to include Fereshteh Mozafarri (Farsi and English); Shirley May (Jamaican national language/patois and English) and Shamshad Khan (Urdu and English). This is a free event included in the usual admission to the

: Victorian Parlour Music

Join amateur musicians Matt Holker and Robert Nicholls in the Drawing Room for an afternoon of Victorian parlour songs, including some referred to by Elizabeth Gaskell. At intervals from 2pm. Included in admission

: Hearts, Hands and Cake

… make the world (if I am but strong enough in expression), honour the woman as much as they have admired the writer 'Hearts, Hands, and Cake’ is a creative re-imagining of a period in the life of Elizabeth Gaskell, charting her rise from debut novelist and minister’s wife to established author and social reformer. Following her first novel ‘Mary Barton’, Elizabeth is thrust into the inner circles of British literary society, meeting the renowned Charles Dickens and