Elizabeth Gaskell's House is delighted to announce a new short film by the comedy duo, LipService Theatre. Filmed at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, especially for your viewing pleasure, ‘Britain’s favourite literary lunatics’ bring you Mrs Gaskell, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, John Ruskin and a host of Victorian glitterati. The film will be followed by Mrs Gaskell’s Book Club sketch and a live interactive Q&A session for a ‘welcome dose of daft’ – all online. What are you waiting for? Book Now!…

This entertaining online talk with readings begins with the Gaskells’ acquisition of their house in Plymouth Grove and its reflection in North and South. Writer and guide Philip Watts explores the significance of writers’ domestic places and spaces by stitching together a patchwork quilt of literary extracts from Shakespeare to the present day.  

Author Finola Austin brings her meticulously researched and deliciously told novel, Brontë’s Mistress, with its captivating reimagining of the affair between Branwell Brontë (brother of the famous Brontë sisters) and Lydia Robinson, his employer’s wife. Elizabeth Gaskell wrote of the scandalous affair in her groundbreaking biography, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, and it has divided Brontë enthusiasts for generations. Discover how Austin used specific details from The Life in her novel and consider how writers sometimes blur the line between biography and fiction. Part of a…

We're thrilled that Elizabeth Gaskell's House has joined forces with the Brontë Parsonage Museum to deliver a series of three events that explore the relationship between the the two friends. Gaskell's biography, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, told the story of a ‘wild, sad life and the beautiful character that grew out of it’ but was not without controversy when it was first published in 1857. The first biography to be written both by and about a woman writer, it remains…

We're thrilled that Elizabeth Gaskell's House has joined forces with the Brontë Parsonage Museum to deliver a series of three events that explore the relationship between the the two friends. This introductory talk explores the relationship between these two giants of 19th century literature. Charlotte Brontë and Elizabeth Gaskell were opposites in many ways, yet they were profoundly interested in each other’s work and lives: their first meeting in the Lake District in 1850 led to a real friendship. Libby will…

We're thrilled that Elizabeth Gaskell's House has joined forces with the Brontë Parsonage Museum to deliver a series of three events that explore the relationship between the the two friends. Fact, Fiction and Mythmaking in Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Life of Charlotte Brontë - a panel discussion with Libby Tempest, Dr Lucy Hanks and Ann Dinsdale The finale of a short season of events exploring Elizabeth Gaskell’s ground-breaking biography of her friend and fellow writer Charlotte Brontë. ‘The Life‘ was (and…

Victorian’s Children’s literature gave us many of the classics we all know and love from A Secret Garden to Alice in Wonderland. But what themes from Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing are also present in the children’s literature of the age? And as a mother to four daughters, what types of books might Elizabeth have read to her own children? Join Professor Kim Reynolds of Newcastle University to find out more.

Join the team at Elizabeth Gaskell's House to celebrate Black History Month with the incredible duo that is Bonnets at Dawn. They’ll be stepping across the Pond to talk about American Abolitionist writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and her relationship with African-American authors Frances E.W. Harper and Harriet Jacobs. After the success of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in 1853 Harriet Beecher Stowe met Elizabeth Gaskell and in 1857 she stayed at her house on Plymouth Grove. Harper was among the…

Back by popular demand! This sell-out talk by Dr Diane Duffy explores the life and work of Mary Wollstonecraft, a pioneer of feminist thought in the UK, and her influence on Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing. Wollstonecraft is firmly back in public consciousness, due to the head-turning new statue in her honour, by artist Maggi Hambling. Join us for this fascinating online talk, recently reviewed as ‘fascinating, engaging, entertaining and informative’, ‘great talk with really interesting links and parallels’ and ‘very informative,…

Bringing some festive cheer from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House to your home! Sit back with a mince pie and enjoy the Gaskell Society's Anthony Burton’s talk about seasonal customs from Christmases past. The Victorians rediscovered many traditional customs, from wassail bowls and yule logs to mummers and boar’s heads. Anthony explores this ‘re-invention of Christmas’ and considers to what extent the Gaskells were caught up in it.