Two giants of Victorian literature, Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot were very different in almost every way. George Eliot was private and intellectual while Elizabeth was outgoing, gossipy and deeply […]
Named 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 […]
RECORDING: Moss and Mosses in Elizabeth Gaskell's Worlds This year's Joan Leach Memorial Lecture was given by Dr Ingrid Hanson. You can now watch a recording of the talk for […]
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 […]
Elizabeth Gaskell’s last novel, Wives and Daughters, explored the position of women in 19th century society and the pressure on them to marry. Her book had much to say about […]
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 […]
A 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 […]
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 […]
The Gaskells’ relationship with the Portico Library is well-documented. A bust of William Gaskell sits in the Library, honouring his tenure as the Chairman - the longest running Chairman in […]
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 […]
Manchester 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 […]
Available until 30 November 2024. Hannah 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 […]
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 […]
Named 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 […]
The Gaskell Society New Year Lunch 2025 We're thrilled to welcome back members and friends for our wonderfully convivial New Year lunch - a firm favourite in our society's calendar. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Who were the potential models for Signor Brunoni? Could Dickens (who performed as “The Unparalleled Necromancer Rhia Rhama Rhoos”) have been one of them? What kind of text did Miss […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
« All Events Paris Conference: Elizabeth Gaskell – Revolutionary 3 April - 4 April Free Campus des Grands Moulins, Université Paris CitéThis conference explores Gaskell’s unorthodoxies, including her keen observation […]
« All Events The Gaskell Society Annual General Meeting 2025 12 April , 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Our 40th Annual General Meeting takes place at Cross Street Chapel in […]
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 […]
Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon was one of the most intriguing of Victorian heroines: unconventional, illegitimate, yet at the centre of a luminous circle of influential Victorians, including Elizabeth Gaskell, George […]
