The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne joins Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth in the line-up in our March and April meetings, as Dr Diane Duffy begins a discussion exploring the two works side-by-side. Diane will be looking at the situation and presentations of the two protagonists, Hester Prynne and Ruth, along with the presentation of children.In March, we'll […]
The second of our discussions looking at The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth, in which Dr Diane Duffy compares the two works. In April, Diane will lead a discussion on Pearl (the child) and her father, with a focus on chapters 6, 8, 15, 18, 19 and the last two. Our monthly […]
We are delighted to be able to let you know that - at long last - our London & South East branch meetings will start again on Saturday 7th May, when Marie Moxon will be speaking on how Gaskell’s relationship with Dickens changed the course of her writing The meeting will take place at Francis […]
Mr Darwin and Mrs Gaskell: a tale of two storytellersIn October, we welcome Gordon Chancellor, who will examine the many connections between Charles Darwin and Elizabeth Gaskell, both in their family lives and in their work as great Victorian storytellers. They were distantly related via the Wedgwoods and Hollands and they both had daughters whose […]
It's a new season and a new novel! Our discussion series for 2022-23 will look at Wives and Daughters. First published in serial form in the Cornhill Magazine, between August 1864 and January 1866, Wives and Daughters was unfinished when Elizabeth died suddenly in 1865. This is many people's favourite Gaskell novel, which perhaps shows how […]
We're delighted to welcome David Taylor FSA to our November meeting. The Home Quartet (Mrs Lushington and her Daughters) by Arthur HughesVernon Lushington was a close friend of Elizabeth Gaskell and visited her often in Manchester, being a welcome guest at her house in Plymouth Grove. He was a lawyer, civil servant, philanthropist and Christian […]
Our discussion series for 2022-23 looks at Wives and Daughters. First published in serial form in the Cornhill Magazine, between August 1864 and January 1866, Wives and Daughters was unfinished when Elizabeth died suddenly in 1865. This is many people's favourite Gaskell novel, which perhaps shows how her writing was getting better and better. We can […]
We're especially delighted to welcome our dear friend, Frank Galvin, for our December illustrated talk. Frank is a retired museum curator who worked for Stockport’s Heritage Service for 32 years: he was responsible for Stockport’s eight heritage sites and managed a team of curators, designers and technicians. His projects included the Hat Works, The Stockport […]
Our discussion series for 2022-23 looks at Wives and Daughters. First published in serial form in the Cornhill Magazine, between August 1864 and January 1866, Wives and Daughters was unfinished when Elizabeth died suddenly in 1865. This is many people's favourite Gaskell novel, which perhaps shows how her writing was getting better and better. We can […]
Rooms with a View: Soft Furnishings in North and South This talk will explore what the furniture in North and South tells us about the social world Gaskell inhabits. Dr Clara Dawson reflects on whether furniture provides us with an alternative narrative to the romance plot and the depiction of north and south, and […]
Our discussion series for 2022-23 looks at Wives and Daughters. First published in serial form in the Cornhill Magazine, between August 1864 and January 1866, Wives and Daughters was unfinished when Elizabeth died suddenly in 1865. This is many people's favourite Gaskell novel, which perhaps shows how her writing was getting better and better. We can […]
