Blogs & News

: Online Talk: Redemption through Divine Motherhood in Ruth – Religion in Victorian Literature

In a world not built for women, we take a radical new look at religion and redemption in Victorian literature. Starting with Elizabeth Gaskell’s groundbreaking novel Ruth, this online talk will reveal the revisionary use of Christian imagery and themes in the scandalous story of teenage motherhood. Then we will take a look at similar ideas of 'God as a mother'. Discover a fresh look at a range of authors from popular favourites like Charlottë Bronte and Harriet

: Online Talk: North and South – Fashion in the TV Classic and Novel

Join Curator Elinor Camille-Wood as she takes you on fabulous fashion journey. You can find out more about the novel and tv adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s classic North and South. Take a peek at what characters like Margaret Hale would have worn in the 1850s, from large skirts to beautiful bonnets in an age of clothing colour and luxury. Find out about the popular female silhouette, the latest hairstyles and the stunning new colour dyes that transformed fashion.

: Online Talk: Writing Home – House and Home in Elizabeth Gaskell’s literature

“Oh, I can't describe my home. It is home, and I can't put its charm into words” Margaret Hale, North and South, 1855 From October 2024 to September 2025 Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is celebrating its 10-year anniversary of opening the public. So, you are invited to join other literary fans as we explore themes of house and home in our online events. The stereotype of the Victorian home is a place of domestic bliss with an angelic woman

: Online Talk: Literary Locations – Finding Elizabeth Gaskell

As part of the 10-year anniversary celebrations of the opening of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, we’re celebrating the real-life homes that inspired this incredible writer. You are invited on a special online literary journey looking for the real locations of novels and short stories. Dr Diane Duffy takes you on a virtual visit to the houses and homes featured in Victorian classics including Cranford, North and South, Mary Barton, Wives and Daughters and more. In other words, you can

: Online Talk: Laughter and Literature – Comedy in Elizabeth Gaskell

“Out of the way! We are in the throes of an exceptional emergency! This is no occasion for sport- there is lace at stake!" Cranford, 1853 The hard-hitting novels of a Victorian minister’s wife may not be the most likely place to look for comedy, but Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing is packed full of mirth. Even in her social novel Ruth about an unmarried mother, there is room for a little laughter. Humour and grief can be regular bedfellows