Blogs & News

: Online Talk: Literary Heroines

A celebration of Mary Barton and some of the greatest 19th century literary heroines by women writers including Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell. Focusing on heroines Mary Barton, Jane Eyre and Anne Elliot in Persuasion, this talk shows how these writers force us to question our views of 19th century women. Why are we drawn to Mary Barton and these others? What sets these characters apart? Do they all break the rules and challenge convention? And

: Online Talk: Bad Women

‘Revenge may be wicked, but it's perfectly natural.’ Becky Sharpe, Vanity Fair, 1847 The stereotype of the Victorian woman is that of a domestic angel, pure, innocent and a helpmate to her husband. But the women in this talk challenge that with a vengeance! Enjoy a look at the dark side with the bad women of Vanity Fair, Mary Barton, Little Dorrit, Daniel Deronda and many more. Join Sherry Ashworth for a look at how the worst women

: Online Talk: Passion and Propriety – Elizabeth Gaskell’s Fashion

Elizabeth Gaskell had a love of fashion, enjoying foreign styles on her travels, and a fan of beautiful shawls and patterns at home. This talk by Margo Singer looks at Elizabeth's conflicting reactions to contemporary fashions in her letters and novels, as she sought to reconcile her desire for conservative dress for her daughters, and re-use of old clothes, with her natural love of fashion and style. Tickets £5 ‘Excellent... The speaker's knowledge of the times was fascinating

: Online Talk: Victorian Christmas in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Manchester

At the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, Christmas meant little to commercial Manchester but during the 1840s-1860s the city came to share in an upsurge of enthusiasm for the festive season. Elizabeth Gaskell's Manchester saw a boom in the Christmas trade in food, wine and gifts, the expansion of seasonal entertainments like pantomime and the revival of old customs. Even the Mechanics Institution sponsored a series of pageants involving wassail bowls and boars’ heads. And if Christmas was

: Online Talk: Vindication of the Rights of Woman – Mary Wollstonecraft’s Influence in the Writings of Elizabeth Gaskell.

We're celebrating the approach of International Women's Day with a focus on Mary Wollstonecraft, a pioneer of feminist thought in the UK, and her influence on Elizabeth Gaskell's writing. Wollstonecraft is firmly back in public consciousness, due to the head-turning new statue in her honour, by artist Maggi Hambling. Join us for this fascinating online talk with Dr Diane Duffy, as she examines the ways Wollstonecraft's ideas have informed Elizabeth Gaskell's work. Tickets £4 Refer to your e-ticket