BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Gaskell Society - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Gaskell Society X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Gaskell Society REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261027T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261027T150000 DTSTAMP:20260509T235325 CREATED:20260501T154750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260508T082227Z UID:8903-1793106000-1793113200@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n \n \n \n \n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret \n \n \n \n \n \n Tuesday 27 October\, 2026\n\n \n\n \, \n\n\n1:00 pm\n\n \n\n\n\n \n - \n\n3:00 pm\n\n\nGMT\n \n \n \n \n \n \n£5 – £6 \n \n \n \n Dr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n We associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. For the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. Braddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! In the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  As Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” The sessions will look at the novel in detail as follows: Session 1 (27 October 2026) –  Volume 1\, Chapters 1-9 inclusive. Session 2 (24 November 2026) – Volume 1\, Chapters 12-19 and Volume 2\, Chapters 1-3. Session 3 (26 January 2027) -Volume 2\, Chapters 4-10. Session 4 (23 February 2027) – Volume 2\, Chapters 11-13 and Volume 3\, Chapters 1-3. Session 5 (30 March 2027) –Volume 3\, Chapters 4-end. Session 6 (27 April 2027) will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. Where we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Read Diane's Points to Ponder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Doors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. Simply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Buy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Where to find us \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n \n \n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n \n Knutsford\,\n\n\n WA16 8DY\n\n United Kingdom\n\n\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n\n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Google Calendar\n\n \n iCalendar\n\n \n Outlook 365\n\n \n Outlook Live\n\n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n Manchester Meeting - 'A Little Paradise': the Urban and Rural Homes of a Manchester Manufacturer \n\n\n \n \n Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-october-2026/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR