Alan Shelston (1937-2024)
Gaskell Society members all over the world were greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Alan Shelston – not only one of the foremost Gaskell scholars of his generation, but also a very dear friend.
Alan was founding editor of The Gaskell Journal in 1987 and became the Society’s president in 2006. He was co-editor (with John Chapple) of Further Letters of Mrs Gaskell (Manchester University Press 2000) and the author of Brief Lives: Elizabeth Gaskell (Hesperus Press, 2010). He wrote many more articles, papers and chapters about Gaskell and other Victorian writers and lectured extensively, particularly to the Gaskell Society of Japan. All who knew him appreciated his warmth and humour, as well as the breadth of his scholarship.
A full obituary, written by Elizabeth Williams, appears in the 2024 Gaskell Journal (volume 38) and an appreciation of his considerable contribution to Gaskell Studies (including a list of articles and papers, compiled by Anthony Burton) appears in Number 78 of the Gaskell Society’s Newsletter (Autumn 2024).
A personal tribute from our Chair
Alan was the supervisor for my MA dissertation in 2002, when I was studying an obscure Victorian writer whose family were related by marriage to the Hollands. As a Gaskell scholar, Alan was an ideal choice and I could not have wished for a better supervisor. He was kind and amazingly helpful with a keen sense of humour, and he shared my love of book collecting.
Our paths diverged, until we met again at a retirement party, after which he joined our monthly poetry discussion group. Alan was a popular contributor and we always looked forward to the week when he would present his poems with his usual inimitable style; blending erudition with humorous anecdotes. I always felt it was his sense of humour that made him such a warm and approachable academic.
Finally, when, with some trepidation, I took over from Elizabeth Williams the role of leading the Knutsford Study Sessions on Gaskell, Alan was there to support. It was a rather formidable task, running a discussion group which consisted of three very eminent academics – Alan, Angus Easson and David Jarman – and they always sat together. However, their contributions were always supportive and Alan continued to generously support my efforts. The last time I saw him was at the 2019 Gaskell Society Conference where he gave me a signed edition of his publication on Elizabeth Gaskell for the series Brief Lives. At the next Gaskell Society Conference in 2022, I presented a paper on Anne Marsh Caldwell, my MA subject, and dedicated it to Alan, without whose help and support I would never have achieved so much. He would not have known that I became Chair of the Gaskell Society and I hope that he would be pleased and that I can do him justice.
Dr Diane Duffy
Chair of the Gaskell Society (UK)
Condolences from the Gaskell Society of Japan
On behalf of The Gaskell Society of Japan, I wish to express our deepest condolences on the passing of Alan Shelston-sensei. His passing is a profound loss to the academic community, and we share in your sorrow as we remember his exceptional contributions to the study of Elizabeth Gaskell and 19th-century literature.
Shelston-sensei played a significant role in strengthening the ties between our two societies. His visit to Japan in 2004 remains a cherished memory for many of our members. During that visit, he delivered the keynote lecture titled “The Eagle and the Dove: Dickens, Mrs. Gaskell, and the Publishing Culture of the Mid-Nineteenth Century” at the joint conference of The Gaskell Society of Japan and The Dickens Fellowship of Japan. The session, chaired by our esteemed member Prof. Mitsuharu Matsuoka, was a highlight of the event. We were honoured to later receive Shelston-sensei’s manuscript, which was published in our Gaskell Studies, no. 15(2005), under the same title.
His scholarly contributions were invaluable, but it was his warmth, generosity, and genuine enthusiasm for our shared work that left an indelible mark on all of us. Please extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and all members of The Gaskell Society. Shelston-sensei will be dearly missed, but his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of scholars.
With deepest sympathy,
Tomoko Kanda
President, The Gaskell Society of Japan
And a letter from Mrs Shelston….
Dorothy Shelston recently wrote a very kind letter to our Chair, Diane Duffy with the following message for the Society
Dear Diane
Thank you for your letter of condolence and sharing your memories of Alan with us.
Could you also thank the Gaskell Society members who came to Alan’s funeral and those who sent cards and letters of sympathy? It has been comforting to know how much his contribution to the society and the friendships he made there were appreciated.
We would also like to thank Anthony Burton for bringing together Alan’s contribution to Gaskell suites in such a comprehensive way.
We wish the Society continuing success. it is in very good hands.
Yours sincerely
Dorothy Shelston