Blogs & News

: Online Event – International Women’s Day: Women of Words

***Booking will open soon**** Join our four literary houses in an evening to celebrate women writers who supported each other through female networks and creative collaboration as we mark International Women’s Day. Step into the worlds of novelists the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, Fredrika Bremer and their earlier predecessors for a vivid insight into the literary connections and networks that sustained women’s writing lives. Through letters we glimpse supportive mentorships, introductions between writers, friendly editorial advice, the sharing of

: Elizabeth Gaskell’s Gothic Fiction: An Introduction

Take a turn to the dark side this autumn as you explore the mystery and macabre of Elizabeth Gaskell’s Gothic writing. Face the claustrophobic suspense of Lois the Witch, feel the supernatural terror of The Poor Clare and shiver in the snowy horror of The Old Nurse's Story. While the writings of a wife of a Unitarian minister may not be the first place to look for tales of terror and the supernatural, Elizabeth Gaskell wrote some classic

: Online Talk: Step into the Garden – The Language of Flowers in Cranford and other novels

Let your love of reading bloom and step into the (virtual) garden to discover the hidden language of flowers in some of your favourite Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, starting with the much-loved Cranford. Many stories include a secret symbolism of flowers, which was both typically Victorian and unique to Elizabeth Gaskell’s work, from Wives and Daughters to Ruth. What does it signify that Cranford’s Miss Matty, with her long-lost love, has the yellow primrose as her favourite flower? How

: Online Talk: Cranford For Beginners

'In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women.' Have you ever wanted to read Cranford or wondered why it’s one of Elizabeth Gaskell’s most popular novels? Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford is famed for its portrayal of picture-perfect English village life and has never been out of print since it was first published in 1853. Now Libby Tempest, Vice Chair of the Gaskell Society, tells us about how she came

: Online Talk: Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell- A Friendship

This introductory talk explores the relationship between two giants of nineteenth-century literature. Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell were opposites in many ways. Yet they were profoundly interested in each other’s work and lives. Their first meeting in the Lake District in 1850 led to a real friendship. Charlotte had written the instant classic Jane Eyre and then Shirley, while Elizabeth’s astounding debut novel Mary Barton had been well-received. This talk uses letters, writing and contemporary accounts to try