
Thomas Hardy and Elizabeth Gaskell – study sessions 2025-26
Dr Diane Duffy’s popular study session series looking at Elizabeth Gaskell’s literary legacy continues. This season, she turns her attention to Far From the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy.
– Letter (412) to George Smith, February 1859 –

Dr Diane Duffy’s popular study session series looking at Elizabeth Gaskell’s literary legacy continues. This season, she turns her attention to Far From the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy.

We recently published our New Season leaflet. Have a look at it here. All our talks in one handy list.

Our November 2025 lecture is given by Amy L. Montz, whose new book, Dressing for England explores fashion and nationalism in a number of Victorian novels, including Cranford.

Dr Diane Duffy has paid a visit to Wessex to explore the life, work and inspiration of Thomas Hardy. Far From the Madding Crowd is the subject of our 2025-26

Ahead of her new season of Thomas Hardy study sessions, Dr Diane Duffy has paid a visit to Wessex.

Ahead of her new season of Thomas Hardy study sessions, Dr Diane Duffy has paid a visit to Wessex.

Each year we have a service to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth Gaskell in September 1810. This year, we assembled to mark the occasion on Sunday 21

Michael Portillo, former government minster turned television presenter (and famous for his brightly-coloured clothes), asked the Gaskell Society’s Chair, Dr Diane Duffy, to contribute to a BBC programme celebrating the

Over the past year a number of unpublished letters from Elizabeth’s daughters have been brought to our notice. Last year, for example, a letter from Meta (Margaret) Gaskell was discovered