Blogs & News

Events : Welcome to the World of Cranford – Your Online Events

Welcome to the world of, what must surely be Elizabeth Gaskell's most charming novel, Cranford. This story of the 'Amazons' of Cranford has never been out of print. Now a new season of events just for you celebrates the quiet strength of women's community and the most enduring friendships in literature. Here you can value the small joys: the perfect cup of tea, the first bloom in a well-tended garden, and the comfort of a shared story. In a world

Blogs & News : Your Online Events for 2026: Short Stories and More

You are cordially invited to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House’s season of events on Short Stories including Cranford and the Gothic! Fancy some variety? Too busy for a longer novel? These Short Stories are the perfect answer. Plus we have a not-to-be-missed partnership event with the Brontë Parsonage Museum and Jane Austen's House. Elizabeth Gaskell's Short Stories have got it all: comedy, tragedy, sensationalism, realism, journalism and the macabre. This new year, share in the joy of Elizabeth Gaskell's Short Stories from Cranford

Blogs & News : ‘Cranford is in possession of the Amazons.’

'In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons... whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.' Best known for the TV adaptation starring Judi Dench, Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Cranford started life as a series of short stories. The first, ‘Our Society in Cranford’, appeared in 1851. It introduced gentle incidents of rural life including characters like the much-loved Miss Matty and her upright sister Miss Jenkyns. There were seven more short stories