What's On

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 in both real life and literature.

Elizabeth Gaskell often brings the reader joy through her comic depictions of her characters as they aspire to meet social expectations, like the infamous cat eating the lace incident or the cow in her flannel pyjamas in Cranford.

Now you can join us to celebrate the humour and joy in Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing across so many genres. In this online talk we meet a host of comedic characters from the community of Amazons in rural Cheshire’s Cranford, to dreadful Mrs Gibson and her wry husband in Wives and Daughters and even the industrial classics Mary Barton and North and South. And maybe enjoy a little chuckle along the way.

Part of Ruth season

‘These talks are always really good: they feel friendly, relaxed and intimate, whilst being intellectually stimulating.’ Visitor to previous online event

Tickets £6

Wednesday 21 May 2025, 7-8pm

**Refer to your e-ticket for zoom joining instructions and links. Please check your spam/junk mail for ticket. This talk will also be recorded and all ticketholders will receive a link to the recording via TicketSource after the event.**

You can also support the house by buying from our online shop via this link.

If you have any questions about this event, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is run by Manchester Historic Buildings Trust (charity no. 1080606) and all money gained through private tours, talks, room hire and ticket sales goes towards the ongoing maintenance and running costs of the House. If you would like to support the House with an additional donation you can do so via this link.