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

: Halloween Lunch-time Talk: Frankenstein

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” Mary Shelley, Frankenstein   Join us for a Halloween lunch-time talk on Frankenstein, to celebrate the 200th anniversary year of the book's publication. Bring your sandwiches - or treat yourself to cake from our tea room -  and make yourself comfortable in our Servants' Hall to listen to Dr Diane Duffy talk about Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece, and its similarities with ‘the monstrous other’ in Elizabeth Gaskell’s  work. Free event, included in

: 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

: Father’s Day at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Join us for short talk from one of our volunteers 'Through the Study Window'. This short talk will discuss what the Revd. William Gaskell (husband and father) would have seen from his window in the study at Plymouth Grove, and how that outlook changed during the Gaskells' residency. Who were there neighbours and where did these people move to as Manchester pushed its way further into the suburbs? All Dads will get a free cup* of the Elizabeth

: International Women’s Day: Was Elizabeth Gaskell a Feminist?

Join one of our volunteers for a short talk to explore Elizabeth's views on the 'woman question'. Looking at the evidence from her letters and her published writing, we consider Gaskell's views on the position of women in the mid nineteenth century. And did she really fit the subservient Victorian stereotype suggested by the Richmond portrait of Gaskell in the Drawing Room? This short talk will take place in the dining room and is included in admission.