Knutsford Meeting – The Mill on the Floss and the Moorland Cottage I
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomMany critics have considered the similarities between these two texts, thus suggesting one having influenced the other. Eliot’s reputation has been such that there is often an assumption that Gaskell would be influenced by Eliot, however, this could not be the case as ‘The Moorland Cottage’ was published ten years before The Mill on the […]
Online talk: Halloween – Brides of Dracula
onlineA talk to mark the bi-centary year of Lord Byron. Step into the dark side to look at literary vampires, starting with his unfinished novel The Burial: A Fragment. Byron’s supernatural story may have been the first in English to feature a vampire but it certainly was not the last and many that followed featured […]
Manchester Meeting – Female Role Models from Biblical Heroines
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomAuthor Sherry Ashworth looks at how Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot and Charles Dickens used biblical heroines to develop their own characters. Our Manchester meetings take place in Cross Street Chapel on the first Tuesday of the month, October-March (exc January). Everyone is most welcome to come along, members and non-members alike. Doors open at 1pm […]
RECORDING – Elizabeth Gaskell, Letters and an Accidental Abortion at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
onlineHannah Palmer, a PhD student at Loughborough University, talks about her research into abortion and maternal histories in nineteenth-century literature and culture. Her thesis explores these issues in Gaskell’s letters and comments more generally on Gaskell’s role within her community. This is a recording of a talk Hannah gave to the London & SE branch […]
Knutsford Meeting – The Mill on the Floss and the Moorland Cottage 2
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomMany critics have considered the similarities between these two texts, thus suggesting one having influenced the other. Eliot’s reputation has been such that there is often an assumption that Gaskell would be influenced by Eliot, however, this could not be the case as ‘The Moorland Cottage’ was published ten years before The Mill on the […]
Manchester in Victorian Literature
onlineManchester is the dramatic backdrop to literary classics, such as Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, and lesser-known works, such as Isabella Banks’s The Manchester Man. The city has been at the forefront of industrial change and political radicalism but what about literature? How have events from the Industrial Revolution to Peterloo inspired writers? How are the lives of […]
Manchester Meeting – Elizabeth Gaskell, Celebrity
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomElizabeth Gaskell, Celebrity: How she coped with fame In ordinary life, Elizabeth Gaskell enjoyed a certain status in Manchester as the wife of a prominent clergyman. But she soon achieved fame in her own right, through her writings. This talk, by Anthony Burton, explains how these appeared at first anonymously, then under the names ‘E. […]
Second-Hand Book Sale
Elizabeth Gaskell's House 84 Plymouth Grove,, Manchester, United KingdomNamed as ‘Manchester’s best second-hand book sale‘ the Elizabeth Gaskell’s House second-hand book sale is a must visit for book lovers. Held within Manchester’s very own literary house, there are two rooms packed full of second-hand books of all genres. You can browse a wide variety of good quality contemporary fiction, crime, thrillers, classics, OS maps, biographies, […]
Knutsford Meeting – The Mill on the Floss & Wives and Daughters
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomIn Session 3, Dr Diane Duffy takes a look at the portrayal of sisters in these well-loved works by George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell. Our monthly Knutsford meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month, between October and April (except December). They take the form of an informal and friendly open discussion / […]
Manchester Meeting – February 2025
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomOur Manchester meetings take place in Cross Street Chapel on the first Tuesday of the month, October-March (exc January). Everyone is most welcome to come along, members and non-members alike. Doors open at 1pm (feel free to bring a packed lunch) and the talk will begin at 1.30pm. Tickets are £5 for members, £6 for […]
Knutsford Meeting – Middlemarch & Wives and Daughters
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomMany critics have considered the similarities between the works of Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot, thus suggesting one having influenced the other. Eliot’s reputation has been such that there is often an assumption that Gaskell would be influenced by her. The question we should be asking is: Did Gaskell in any way influence Eliot? In […]
Manchester Meeting – Britishness and the Four Nations in the Novels of Elizabeth Gaskell
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomWe're delighted to welcome Duncan Hamilton to our March meeting. We live in a world of friction between the nations of the United Kingdom. Resurgent Scotland, resilient Wales and confident Northern Ireland jostle with long-dominant England for an equal voice on Britain’s national stage. From Scotland’s independence referendum to Brexit, the 2010s and 2020s have […]
Knutsford Meeting – March 2025
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomIn this session, Dr Diane Duffy will be looking at Fallenness in Adam Bede and Mary Barton, with a focus on the characters of Hetty Sorrel and Aunt Esther. Our monthly Knutsford meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month, between October and April (except December). Bring your own packed lunch from 1pm […]
Knutsford Meeting – April 2025
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomOur monthly Knutsford meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month, between October and April (except December). Bring your own packed lunch from 1pm and then enjoy a friendly and informal talk and discussion, 2-3pm. Everyone is most welcome. £5 members, £6 non-members Simply come along and pay on the door, or book online […]