Open Day at Cairo Street Unitarian Chapel
Cairo Street Unitarian Chapel 4 Cairo Street, Warrington, United KingdomCairo Street Unitarian Chapel Chapel members are opening the chapel and garden to visitors and guests on Saturday 15th July. The chapel contains memorials and information regarding the Gaskell family […]
Online Talk: North and South Fan Fiction – A Writing Passion
onlineElizabeth Gaskell’s North and South continues to be beloved by fans around the world. Many who admire the novel or the BBC series, have been inspired to contribute their own […]
Online Talk: Margaret Hale – North and South
onlineOur passion for North and South continues as we take a closer look at lead character Margaret Hale. Our heroine is famous for her growing love affair with mill-owner John […]
Mrs Gaskell’s Personal Pantheon – with Bob Gamble
Francis Holland School 39 Graham Terrace, London, United KingdomBob’s book of this title appeared in August 2020 and highlights connections between Unitarian communities across England by following the life and times of Elizabeth Gaskell's dear friend, Janetta Bishop […]
Online Talk: Bad Women
online‘Revenge may be wicked, but it’s perfectly natural.’ Becky Sharpe, Vanity Fair, 1847 The stereotype of the Victorian woman is that of a domestic angel, pure, innocent and a helpmate […]
The Gaskell Memorial Service 2023
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomEvery year, on a Sunday close to what would have been Elizabeth Gaskell's birthday, we lay flowers on her grave (10.45am) at Brook Street Chapel in Knutsford. We also lay […]
Online Talk: Mary Barton and the Year of Revolutions
onlineMary Barton and the Year of Revolutions: ‘John Barton became a Chartist, a Communist’ Elizabeth Gaskell’s debut novel Mary Barton (1848) is recognised as one of the most important Victorian works to explore […]
Autumn Meeting: A Cranford Reader: Margaret Leicester Warren of Tabley House
Knutsford Methodist Church Princess Street, Knutsford, United KingdomThe Joan Leach Memorial LectureA Cranford Reader: Margaret Leicester Warren (1847–1921) of Tabley House Pic: Wikimedia Commons We're delighted to welcome Sarah Webb, a trustee of the Tabley House Collection.In 1861 Margaret […]
Manchester Meeting – Domestic Mental Cruelty in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Works
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomKathleen Gentle's talk for our October meeting will focus on familial/spousal abuse in Gaskell's works. She'll discuss Gaskell's depiction of physical and mental cruelty and how she criticises her contemporary […]
Online Talk: Song of the Shirt
onlineWith fingers weary and worn, With eyelids heavy and red, A woman sat in unwomanly rags, Plying her needle and thread— Stitch! stitch! stitch! Thomas Hood wrote the famous poem The […]
Online Talk: Ann Radcliffe and the Female Gothic
onlineAnn Radcliffe and the Female Gothic – ‘A genius of no common stamp’ Get ready for a spooky night of literature as we celebrate the bicentenary of Ann Radcliffe, the […]
Online “Knutsford” Meeting – October 2023
online*** Please note that this event is now online only, via Zoom.*** Our Chair, Dr Diane Duffy will be discussing Sylvia's Lovers for the 2023-24 Knutsford season. Gaskell’s only historical […]
Online Event: Shirley – Charlotte Brontë and the Industrial Novel
onlineCharlotte Brontë is a giant of Victorian literature and the much-loved author of the classic Jane Eyre but what of her lesser-read second novel, Shirley, written in the grief and […]
Manchester Meeting – Elizabeth Gaskell in the Train and on the Omnibus
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomWe're delighted to welcome back committee member and one of our favourite speakers, Anthony Burton. He'll be offering a tempting taster for our 2024 Conference, which explores the theme of […]
How Manchester Made Shakespeare Modern – Rosa Grindon, the Suffragist Shakespearean Scholar
Manchester Central Library St Peter's Square, ManchesterDr Ian Nickson (Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham) and Dr. Monika Smialkowska (Northumbria University) will talk about the largely overlooked career of Rosa Grindon. They will chart her journey from […]
Online Tour of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
onlineUsing 360-degree photography, expert guides will bring Manchester’s literary heritage to life via an online tour of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. From the Morning Room and Study, to the Drawing and […]
Can we Devise a Gaskell Brand? – with Anthony Burton
Francis Holland School 39 Graham Terrace, London, United KingdomAs anyone who has attended Gaskell Society conferences, or joined any of the Gaskell House’s online events, will know, Anthony has a vast and wide-ranging amount of knowledge about Elizabeth […]
Online ‘Knutsford’ Meeting – November 2023
onlineOur 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, […]
Online Event: North and South – The Preston Lockouts Anniversary
online2023 marks the 170th anniversary of the Preston Lockouts – the historical strikes that informed the plot and themes of Elizabeth Gaskell’s classic romantic novel North and South and provided inspiration for Charles […]
Manchester Meeting – Gaskell and the Fairy Tale
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomElizabeth 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 […]
Online Talk: Victorian Christmas in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Manchester
onlineAt the start of Queen Victoria’s reign, Christmas meant little to commercial Manchester but during the 1840s-1860s the city came to share in an upsurge of enthusiasm for the festive […]
New Year Lunch, 2024
Cottons Hotel and Spa Manchester Road, Knutsford, United KingdomWe're thrilled to welcome back members and friends for our wonderfully convivial New Year lunch - a firm favourite in our society's calendar. Join us at the the Cottons Hotel, […]
Knutsford Meeting – January 2024
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomOur 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 […]
The Victorian House: Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Context
Cross Street Chapel Cross Street,, Manchester, United KingdomIs 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 […]
Knutsford Meeting – February 2024
Brook Street Chapel Adam's Hill,, Knutsford, United KingdomOur 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, […]