Elizabeth Gaskell’s interest in the fairy tale and her use of fairy-tale motifs throughout her writing have been curiously neglected by scholars. The fairy tale, like the Gothic and the ghostly, operates in a world of magic realism, its conventions straddling two worlds in which the supernatural is accepted as normal in an apparently realistic […]
Our Chair, Dr Diane Duffy will be discussing Sylvia's Lovers for the 2023-24 Knutsford season.Gaskell’s only historical novel, Sylvia’s Lovers is set in the fictional coastal town of Monkshaven, against […]
Is Elizabeth Gaskell's House a 'typical' Victorian house? Surely houses changed a lot over Victoria's 63-year-long reign? Anthony Burton examines various aspects of Victorian domestic architecture, in order to show how Elizabeth Gaskell's House fits in. Doors open at 1pm and the talk begins at 1.30pm. We'll make a recording available for online viewing after the […]
Our Chair, Dr Diane Duffy will be discussing Sylvia's Lovers for the 2023-24 Knutsford season. Gaskell’s only historical novel, Sylvia’s Lovers is set in the fictional coastal town of Monkshaven, […]
We're thrilled to welcome Jessica Smith, Creative Arts Archivist at the John Ryland Research Institute and Library. As you may know, the John Rylands Library holds a collection of Elizabeth Gaskell's printed works and letters. They hold the original manuscripts for 'The Grey Woman', Wives and Daughters, The Life of Charlotte Brontë and 'The Crooked […]
Our Chair, Dr Diane Duffy will be discussing Sylvia's Lovers for the 2023-24 Knutsford season. Gaskell’s only historical novel, Sylvia’s Lovers is set in the fictional coastal town of Monkshaven, […]
Our Chair, Dr Diane Duffy will be discussing Sylvia's Lovers for the 2023-24 Knutsford season. Gaskell’s only historical novel, Sylvia’s Lovers is set in the fictional coastal town of Monkshaven, […]
Moss and Mosses in Elizabeth Gaskell's Worlds This year's Joan Leach Memorial Lecture will be given by Dr Ingrid Hanson. In Mary Barton, Margaret’s grandfather Job Legh has been out ‘moss-hunting’, […]
Edmund Potter is probably most famous for being the grandfather of the author, Beatrix Potter, but he had an illustrious career of his own. Edmund was a Calico Printer who owned a calico print works at Dinting Vale, near Glossop, Derbyshire, that was once the largest calico printing factory in the world. Kate Raine will […]
Many 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 […]
Author 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 […]
Many 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 […]
Elizabeth 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. […]
In 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 / […]
Margaret Emily Gaskell (1837-1913) – universally known as Meta – was the second of William and Elizabeth Gaskell’s four daughters, and the elder of the two who remained unmarried. She lived at Plymouth Grove until her death, and during her father’s lifetime and beyond she helped to maintain the household’s standing as a noted centre […]
Many 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 […]
We'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 […]
In this session, Dr Diane Duffy will be looking at Fallenness in Adam Bede, Ruth and Mary Barton with a focus on the characters of Hetty Sorrel, Ruth 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 […]
To round off her season of discussions comparing the works of Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot, Dr Diane Duffy takes a look at some critical reponses from the nineteenth and twenties centuries - including what Eliot said about Gaskell's work. How much do we agree with these various points of view and how well have […]
« All Events Autumn Meeting 2025 – Isabella Banks’s Tales of Two Cities 20 September , 10:30 am - 1:00 pm This year's Joan Leach Memorial Lecture will be given by Michelle D. Ravenscroft (Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester-born Isabella Banks is best known for her popular novel, The Manchester Man (1876). Set against the backdrop of […]
« All Events Samuel Bamford and the Gaskells 7 October , 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm £5 – £6 We're delighted to welcome Robert Poole to our October meeting. He'll talk about the radical writer and reformer, Samuel Bamford (1788-1872), best known for his prominent role in the 1819 Peterloo demonstration in Manchester and his […]
RECORDING ACCESS – Samuel Bamford and the Gaskells £5 – £6 « All Events Robert Poole was the speaker at our October meeting. He delivered a fascinating lecture about the radical writer and reformer, Samuel Bamford (1788-1872), best known for his prominent role in the 1819 Peterloo demonstration in Manchester and his memoirs Passages in […]
« All Events 4 November , 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm “That Wicked Paris”: Fashioning the Good Englishwoman £5 – £6 We're absolutely delighted to welcome Professor Amy L. Montz of the University of Southern Indiana to give our November lecture. She is the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at the University of Manchester. The crises of […]
« All Events 5 November - 30 November RECORDING ACCESS – “That Wicked Paris”: Fashioning the Good Englishwoman £5 – £6 Professor Amy L. Montz (University of Southern Indiana) gave our November lecture. She is the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at the University of Manchester. The crises of authenticity sparked by the expanding British Empire and […]
Anthony Burton, one of our most popular speakers, returns for his annual festive lecture - now a traditional part of every Gaskell Society Christmas celebration. Elizabeth Gaskell liked to spend Christmas quietly by her fireside. But around her, Victorian people showed increasing seasonal mobility. Children came to celebrate with the family: “Home for the Holidays” […]