BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Gaskell Society - ECPv6.17.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Gaskell Society X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Gaskell Society REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20280326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20281029T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260912T124500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260912T124500 DTSTAMP:20260811T192721Z CREATED:20260806T103350Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T192721Z UID:9315-1789217100-1789217100@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Emma Woodhouse and Sylvia Robson: (in)dependent heroines and their narrative fates DESCRIPTION:A talk by Dr Emma Probett. \nAt first glance the fictional lives of Gaskell’s Sylvia Robson and Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse are almost complete opposites. Emma is described as “handsome\, clever and rich” and as such she is always at the heart of Highbury society: Sylvia\, though beautiful\, comes from a very modest household\, and is neither book-smart or socially adept. However\, both heroines move through their narratives on remarkably similar tracks. They eschew many rules\, which are often forgiven and never firmly corrected during their childhood years\, leaving them ill-prepared for the level of surveillance they come under as they transform over the course of their respective novels into young women and are held to standards they have never had to abide by before. In this talk we will compare and contrast Sylvia’s Lovers and Emma in an exploration of the independent heroine prototype of the long nineteenth century who tries to move and act outside of the confines of a tight and ever-vigilant community\, and the long-lasting consequences that come with their youthful actions. \nLondon meetings take place at Francis Holland School\, 39 Graham Terrace SW1W 8JF (Tube: Sloane Square). Doors open from 12.45 and you are welcome to join us for lunch (not provided – bring a packed lunch) before the talk.  talks begin at 2.00pm \nTea/coffee and refreshments will be provided after the talk. Places are £10.00\, payable in cash on the day. Booking is not necessary\, although it would help our planning if you could let us know that you hope to come. Contact Jenny Keaveney 07791 309784 – gaskellsocietylondonse@gmail.com  URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/london-september-2026/ LOCATION:Francis Holland School\, 39 Graham Terrace\, London\, SW1W 8JF\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:London & SE,talk ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society - London & SE Branch":MAILTO:gaskellsocietylondonse@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260919T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260919T120000 DTSTAMP:20260805T130659Z CREATED:20260728T134744Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260805T130659Z UID:9062-1789815600-1789819200@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Autumn Meeting 2026 - Elizabeth Gaskell: asserting copyright and legal liaisons DESCRIPTION:This year’s Joan Leach Memorial Lecture is given by the writer and Intellectual Property expert Helen Shay. \nWriters and publishers often had fraught relationships\, particularly women writers. This talk looks at how Gaskell’s relationship with her publishers and editors\, in particular Charles Dickens\, impacted on her writing\, moulding her increasing confidence in asserting her views and rights\, attitudes which influenced later women writers and indirectly contributed to the much stronger place in which they find themselves today. \nFinally\, this talk explores Gaskell’s semi-fascination with the law. She trusted the lawyers she knew\, particularly her son-in-law Thurstan Holland\, and learned much from them that informed her writing\, such as the often-overlooked accuracy and depth of character developed in Henry Lennox in North and South\, touching on issues which have not been fully explored before. \nHelen Shay has a BA from the University of Manchester\, where she was tutored by the eminent Gaskell scholar\, Alan Shelston. She also has a degree in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. Helen has taught at various places\, including creative writing/literary courses at York University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.  She has also followed a legal career as a solicitor\, after taking qualifying studies at the University of Law. This has included advising on Intellectual Property and working as In-house Counsel at York University. \nAlongside her legal career\, Helen has always written general fiction and non-fiction\, including publication of a book on copyright\, several legal articles\, poetry and short stories (some award-winning)\, together with dramas staged at Edinburgh Fringe and elsewhere. She is a Member of the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. \nThis talk takes place online only: live over Zoom with a recording available for a limited time after the event. Your ticket will give access to both (we will send the recording link after the event). URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/autumn-meeting-2026/ LOCATION:online CATEGORIES:Online,talk ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261006T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261006T150000 DTSTAMP:20260624T105911Z CREATED:20260501T122615Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260624T105911Z UID:8891-1791291600-1791298800@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Manchester Meeting - 'A Little Paradise': the Urban and Rural Homes of a Manchester Manufacturer DESCRIPTION:Manchester Meeting – ‘A Little Paradise’: the Urban and Rural Homes of a Manchester Manufacturer\n 6 October\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\n What was life like for a wealthy family in the Georgian period? Samuel and Hannah Greg were amongst the Manchester elite at the time\, but when they tired of urban life they decided to build a home in the countryside\, with all the trials and tribulations of an episode of Grand Designs. The Gregs owned Quarry Bank Mill\, which is now a National Trust property in Styal.  Dr Thomas McGrath is an historian and freelance writer. He focuses on social and domestic histories from the 18th-20th centuries. He completed his PhD in 2021\, and he currently works for Wigan Archives.  \nEveryone 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. \nTickets are £5 for members\, £6 for non-members. Simply pay on the door or book online here (no booking fee). \nWe’ll also make a recording available. A link and password will be sent to all ticket holders after the event.  \n\n \n \n\n Categories:\n Manchester\, Meeting\, talk \n\n The Gaskell Society\n\n \n \n \nView Organiser Website \n\n \n gaskellsociety@gmail.com \n \n\n Cross Street Chapel\n\nCross Street\,\n \n Manchester\,\n M2 1NL\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Gaskell Society Conference 2026 \n\n\n \n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/a-little-paradise/ LOCATION:Cross Street Chapel\, Cross Street\,\, Manchester\, M2 1NL\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Manchester,Meeting,talk ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261027T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261027T150000 DTSTAMP:20260508T082227Z CREATED:20260501T154750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260508T082227Z UID:8903-1793106000-1793113200@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret\n Tuesday 27 October\, 2026\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\nGMT \n\n£5 – £6 \nDr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \nWe associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. \nFor the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. \nBraddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! \nIn the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  \nAs Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” \nThe sessions will look at the novel in detail as follows: \nSession 1 (27 October 2026) –  Volume 1\, Chapters 1-9 inclusive. \nSession 2 (24 November 2026) – Volume 1\, Chapters 12-19 and Volume 2\, Chapters 1-3. \nSession 3 (26 January 2027) -Volume 2\, Chapters 4-10. \nSession 4 (23 February 2027) – Volume 2\, Chapters 11-13 and Volume 3\, Chapters 1-3. \nSession 5 (30 March 2027) –Volume 3\, Chapters 4-end. \nSession 6 (27 April 2027) will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. \nWhere we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n Read Diane’s Points to Ponder\n \nDoors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. \nSimply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n\n \n \nBuy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \nWhere to find us\n\n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n Knutsford\,\n WA16 8DY\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Manchester Meeting – 'A Little Paradise': the Urban and Rural Homes of a Manchester Manufacturer \n\n\n \n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-october-2026/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261103T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261103T150000 DTSTAMP:20260808T164308Z CREATED:20260728T131351Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260808T164308Z UID:9295-1793710800-1793718000@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Manchester Meeting - Sustainability and Mrs Gaskell’s life and works DESCRIPTION:Sustainability has become almost a popular term in recent years. It can have many meanings\, not just those relating to the environment and it provides an interesting lens through which to refract and reflect upon the life of Mrs Gaskell and her works. Thus\, for example\, in Wives and Daughters\, the narrator says “In his father’s eyes\, Osborne was the representative of the ancient house of Hamley\, the future owner of the land which had been theirs for a thousand years”. Mrs Gaskell challenges such shibboleths of tradition and the talk will explore this in the context of sustainability. \nDavid Barnes is a social worker\, volunteer heritage worker and tour guide with a special interest in the North of England and its industrial landscapes\, especially its canals.\nEveryone 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. \nTickets are £5 for members\, £6 for non-members. Simply pay on the door or book online here (no booking fee). \nWe’ll also make a recording available. A link and password will be sent to all ticket holders after the event.  URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/manchester-november-2026/ LOCATION:Cross Street Chapel\, Cross Street\,\, Manchester\, M2 1NL\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Manchester,Meeting,talk ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261114T124500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261114T124500 DTSTAMP:20260811T192255Z CREATED:20260806T102941Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T192255Z UID:9121-1794660300-1794660300@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Elizabeth Gaskell\, Harriet Beecher Stowe\, and Sampson Low: Transatlantic Sociability and International Copyright DESCRIPTION:A talk by Dr Katie McGettigan\, Royal Holloway\, University of London \nIn July 1860\, the American novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe\, whose anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a transatlantic best-seller\, wrote to Elizabeth Gaskell with a proposition. Their shared London publisher\, Sampson Low\, had intimated to Stowe that Gaskell “seemed favourably inclined to entertain a project for a sort of partnership with me in a work on Italy”.  Stowe suggested that co-authoring the book would mean that it could be copyrighted in both Britain and the United States\, and the two women could share the profits. A co-authored Stowe-Gaskell work never emerged\, but the letter provides a starting point for exploring the difficulties these novelists had in securing international copyright\, and how Gaskell and Stowe – like other women writers – used social ties and sympathy (a key word in Stowe’s letter to Gaskell) to navigate literary business. This talk will focus on Gaskell’s and Stowe’s parallel experiences in the Anglo-American literary marketplace\, their friendship\, and the triangulation of their relationship through Low: a crucial and understudied figure in nineteenth-century literary culture\, whom both women found\, by turns\, indispensable and frustrating in their pursuit of transatlantic authorship \nLondon meetings take place at Francis Holland School\, 39 Graham Terrace SW1W 8JF (Tube: Sloane Square). Doors open from 12.45 and you are welcome to join us for lunch (not provided – bring a packed lunch) before the talk.  talks begin at 2.00pm \nTea/coffee and refreshments will be provided after the talk. Places are £10.00\, payable in cash on the day. Booking is not necessary\, although it would help our planning if you could let us know that you hope to come. Contact Jenny Keaveney 07791 309784 – gaskellsocietylondonse@gmail.com  URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/london-november-2026/ LOCATION:Francis Holland School\, 39 Graham Terrace\, London\, SW1W 8JF\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:London & SE,talk ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society - London & SE Branch":MAILTO:gaskellsocietylondonse@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261124T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261124T150000 DTSTAMP:20260508T082704Z CREATED:20260501T162455Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260508T082704Z UID:8977-1795525200-1795532400@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret\n Tuesday 24 November\, 2026\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\nGMT \n\n£5 – £6 \nDr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \nWe associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. \nFor the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. \nBraddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! \nIn the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  \nAs Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” \nThe sessions will look at the novel in detail as follows: \nSession 2 (24 November 2026) – Volume 1\, Chapters 12-19 and Volume 2\, Chapters 1-3. \nSession 3 (26 January 2027) -Volume 2\, Chapters 4-10. \nSession 4 (23 February 2027) – Volume 2\, Chapters 11-13 and Volume 3\, Chapters 1-3. \nSession 5 (30 March 2027) –Volume 3\, Chapters 4-end. \nSession 6 (27 April 2027) will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. \nWhere we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n Read Diane’s Points to Ponder\n \nDoors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. \nSimply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n\n \n \nBuy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \nWhere to find us\n\n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n Knutsford\,\n WA16 8DY\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret \n\n\n \n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-november-2026/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261201T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261201T150000 DTSTAMP:20260808T164358Z CREATED:20260728T133134Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260808T164358Z UID:9297-1796130000-1796137200@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Manchester Meeting - George Buckland\, Elizabeth Gaskell\, and the Reports of the Unitarian Ministry to the Poor DESCRIPTION:“The peculiar\, and in some respects distressing\, condition in which we are now placed as a manufacturing people”: George Buckland\, Elizabeth Gaskell\, and the Reports of the Unitarian Ministry to the Poor\nThe Unitarian Reports of the Ministry to the Poor confronted readers\, in harrowing detail\, with the grim reality of the living conditions of the working class in Manchester. Such findings prompted George Buckland\, the second Minister to the Poor\, to reflect on the peculiar position of a manufacturing people. Buckland’s reports were a source of inspiration for Elizabeth Gaskell’s first novel\, Mary Barton. This talk will discuss some findings from my research into George Buckland\, his work for the Ministry to the Poor and its relation to Mary Barton. In their writings on Manchester life in the 1830s and 40s\, both Buckland and Gaskell consider Manchester’s place in relation to wider ideas of English identity; yet it seems that many roads may\, in fact\, lead to Canada. \nJoshua Povall is a PhD candidate at the University of York\, researching understandings of Englishness and the industrial North West in the mid-nineteenth century periodical press. \nEveryone 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. \nTickets are £5 for members\, £6 for non-members. Simply pay on the door or book online here (no booking fee). \nWe’ll also make a recording available. A link and password will be sent to all ticket holders after the event.  URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/manchester-december-2026/ LOCATION:Cross Street Chapel\, Cross Street\,\, Manchester\, M2 1NL\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:history,Manchester,Mary Barton,Meeting,talk ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270126T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270126T150000 DTSTAMP:20260501T163357Z CREATED:20260501T163302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260501T163357Z UID:8974-1800968400-1800975600@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret\n Tuesday 26 January\, 2027\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\nGMT \n\n£5 – £6 \nDr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \nWe associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. \nFor the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. \nBraddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! \nIn the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  \nAs Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” \nThe sessions will look at the novel in detail as follows: \nSession 3 (26 January 2027) -Volume 2\, Chapters 4-10. \nSession 4 (23 February 2027) – Volume 2\, Chapters 11-13 and Volume 3\, Chapters 1-3. \nSession 5 (30 March 2027) –Volume 3\, Chapters 4-end. \nSession 6 (27 April 2027) will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. \nWhere we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n Extracts and Points to Ponder coming soon\n \nDoors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. \nSimply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n\n \n \nBuy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \nWhere to find us\n\n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n Knutsford\,\n WA16 8DY\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret \n\n\n \n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-january-2027/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270213T124500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270213T124500 DTSTAMP:20260811T192500Z CREATED:20260626T114741Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260811T192500Z UID:9118-1802522700-1802522700@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:‘We are not so old as the ladies used to be when I was a girl’. Time\, atemporality and female ageing in Cranford DESCRIPTION:A talk by Dr Sara Zadrozny\, University of Oxford\, Department for Continuing Education \nThe census of 1851\, the year in which “Our Society at Cranford” first appeared in Household Words\, provoked concerns in society about the rising numbers of “old maids”: unmarried middle-class women who were unlikely to find husbands. Cranford challenges these concerns\, and the gerontological thinking of the time\, by presenting a positive depiction of the experience of female ageing. The independent older ladies of the town form a resilient community where spinster status is not socially ruinous. In addition\, Gaskell’s writing works in part to reverse time and its meaning\, rejuvenating Lady Glenmire into a blushing bride\, returning Miss Matty to the long-lost love of her youth\, and even revivifying Miss Betty Barker’s pet cow.  Sara’s talk will show just how Gaskell’s use of atemporality operates to counter mid-Victorian categorisations about aging females and to expose the limits of contemporary medical and literary opinions about the older woman. \nLondon meetings take place at Francis Holland School\, 39 Graham Terrace SW1W 8JF (Tube: Sloane Square). Doors open from 12.45 and you are welcome to join us for lunch (not provided – bring a packed lunch) before the talk. Tea/coffee and refreshments will be provided after the talk. Places are £10.00\, payable in cash on the day. Booking is not necessary\, although it would help our planning if you could let us know that you hope to come. Contact Jenny Keaveney 07791 309784 – gaskellsocietylondonse@gmail.com  URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/london-february-2027/ LOCATION:Francis Holland School\, 39 Graham Terrace\, London\, SW1W 8JF\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Cranford,London & SE,talk ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Gaskell-Society-talks-2025-26-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society - London & SE Branch":MAILTO:gaskellsocietylondonse@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270223T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270223T150000 DTSTAMP:20260501T163210Z CREATED:20260501T163021Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260501T163210Z UID:8976-1803387600-1803394800@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret\n Tuesday 23 February\, 2027\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\nGMT \n\n£5 – £6 \nDr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \nWe associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. \nFor the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. \nBraddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! \nIn the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  \nAs Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” \nThe sessions will look at the novel in detail as follows: \nSession 4 (23 February 2027) – Volume 2\, Chapters 11-13 and Volume 3\, Chapters 1-3. \nSession 5 (30 March 2027) –Volume 3\, Chapters 4-end. \nSession 6 (27 April 2027) will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. \nWhere we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n Extracts and Points to Ponder coming soon\n \nDoors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. \nSimply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n\n \n \nBuy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \nWhere to find us\n\n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n Knutsford\,\n WA16 8DY\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-february-2027/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270302T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270302T150000 DTSTAMP:20260728T133549Z CREATED:20260506T160229Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260728T133549Z UID:9024-1803992400-1803999600@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Who was Marie Nordlinger\, Marcel Proust's 'Muse from Manchester'? DESCRIPTION:« All Events \nWho was Marie Nordlinger\, Marcel Proust’s ‘Muse from Manchester’?\nTuesday 2 March\, 2027\n\,\n1:00 pm\n–\n3:00 pm\nGMT \n£5 – £6 \nDr Cynthia Gamble introduces us to Marie Nordlinger (1876-1961)\, the talented\, polyglot artist and sculptor from Manchester who was in regular correspondence with Marcel Proust.  \n\n Portrait of Marie Nordlinger by Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz\nThe story begins in Victoria Park\, Rusholme\, near (now in) Manchester\, where Marie Nordlinger was born into a wealthy middle-class family. Her father\, Selmar Nordlinger\, originally an immigrant from Venice\, was a cotton industrialist and philanthropist who espoused the Ruskinian values of work. Her mother\, Hélène\, the daughter of a wealthy Jewish banker\, was born in Hamburg. Marie\, the third of seven children\, thrived in a multilingual environment\, at school and at home. \nAfter initial studies at the Municipal School of Art in Manchester\, she continued learning as an artist and sculptor in Paris in the studio of Gustave Courtois\, chaperoned by her aunt. She made the acquaintance of Marcel Proust at the home of her cousin Reynaldo Hahn in December 1896. Proust was immediately attracted to her\, likenin  her to a lady in a Titian painting in the Louvre. \nThis was the start of a remarkable adventure: between 1899 and 1908\, she and Proust were in regular correspondence\, mainly about questions of translation. Marie helped him translate two works by John Ruskin: The Bible of Amiens and Sesame and Lilies. Proust’s letters to Marie were published as Lettres à une amie (Manchester\, Éditions du Calame\, 1942). \nMarie\, known as the ‘Parisienne from Manchester’\, had a pioneering spirit: she crossed continents for work and study long before women in Britain had been emancipated. She spent time as an apprentice sculptor in Hamburg\, and then\, in Belle Époque Paris\, she was employed in the gallery of Siegfried Bing\, the art dealer and disseminator of Japonisme. \nMarie was so exceptional and hard-working that Bing sent her\, unaccompanied\, to America as his representative to negotiate contracts and also to help catalogue in Detroit the precious collection of East Asian\, Middle Eastern and American art of the wealthy industrialist Charles Lang Freer. \nIn 1911\, Marie married the German art historian Rudolf Meyer-Riefstahl\, with whom she set up an antique business in central Paris. Three years later\, at the time of the Great War\, the couple’s assets were seized by the French state and the family took refuge in England. \nA lifelong Francophile\, she worked tirelessly to promote Franco-British relations and in 1957 was awarded the Légion d’honneur. \nDr Cynthia Gamble is Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Exeter and member of the Académie des Sciences\, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Rouen\, is the author many works about Marcel Proust and John Ruskin\, in particular Voix entrelacées de Proust et de Ruskin (2021). She also had access to a private archive to publish Wenlock Abbey 1857-1919: A Shropshire Country House and the Milnes Gaskell Family (2015). She enjoys working in a Franco-British environment and was delighted to write Marie Nordlinger (1876-1961): Proust’s Muse from Manchester (2026)\, also based on unpublished manuscripts. \nCross Street Chapel is in central Manchester. The nearest rail station is Victoria and for the tram\, it’s Exchange Square. Doors open at 1.00pm (feel free to bring a packed lunch)\, and our talk will begin at 1.30. \n\n\n\n\n\nAdd to calendar \n \n\nGoogle Calendar\niCalendar\nOutlook 365\nOutlook Live\n\nWhere to find us\nCross Street Chapel\nCross Street\, \nManchester\,\nM2 1NL\nUnited Kingdom \n+ Google Map \n  \nView Venue Website \n\n \n\n\n\nSensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret \n\nSensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/manchester-march-2027/ LOCATION:Cross Street Chapel\, Cross Street\,\, Manchester\, M2 1NL\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Manchester,talk,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/marie-nordlinger.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270330T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270330T150000 DTSTAMP:20260501T163617Z CREATED:20260501T163518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260501T163617Z UID:8972-1806411600-1806418800@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret\n Tuesday 30 March\, 2027\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\nBST \n\n£5 – £6 \nDr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \nWe associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. \nFor the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. \nBraddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! \nIn the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  \nAs Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” \nThe sessions will look at the novel in detail as follows: \nSession 5 (30 March 2027) –Volume 3\, Chapters 4-end. \nSession 6 (27 April 2027) will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. \nWhere we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n Extracts and Points to Ponder coming soon\n \nDoors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. \nSimply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n\n \n \nBuy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \nWhere to find us\n\n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n Knutsford\,\n WA16 8DY\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-march-2027/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20270427T130000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270427T150000 DTSTAMP:20260501T164019Z CREATED:20260501T163902Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260501T164019Z UID:8973-1808830800-1808838000@gaskellsociety.co.uk SUMMARY:Sensation Fiction - Lady Audley's Secret DESCRIPTION:« All Events\n \n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley’s Secret\n Tuesday 27 April\, 2027\n \,\n1:00 pm\n –\n3:00 pm\nBST \n\n£5 – £6 \nDr Diane Duffy continues her popular study sessions\, turning her attention to Sensation Fiction and in particular\, Lady Audley’s Secret\, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. These friendly monthly sessions take place in Knutsford and also online – share your views\, or simply enjoy listening. \n \n \nWe associate Sensation Fiction\, popularised by Wilkie Collins and Mary Braddon\, with the late 1850s until around the 1890s. However\, these novels –  which focus on secrets\, crime and detection – were emerging even before Collins and Braddon published their best sellers – The Woman in White and Lady Audley’s Secret. \nFor the next Knutsford session Diane will focus on Lady Audley’s Secret\, Braddon’s first popular sensation novel which was published in serial form in 1862 in both the Sixpenny Magazine and the London Journal. \nBraddon’s work came in between Gaskell’s ‘The Grey Woman’ (1861) and ‘A Dark Night’s Work’ (1863)\, a story adeptly retitled by Dickens to give it the atmosphere of sensation fiction. The original title (‘A Night’s Work’) does not have the same marketing impact – it is amazing what a difference a word makes! Gaskell\, however\, was far from pleased\, as she was not consulted about the change! \nIn the period between 1859 and her death\, Elizabeth Gaskell also produced a number of short stories\, including ‘Lois the Witch’\, two major novels Sylvia’s Lovers (1863) and Wives and Daughters (1864-Jan 1866)\, and a novella\, ‘Cousin Phillis’ (1864).  \nAs Diane says\, “I have chosen Lady Audley over The Woman in White because it is much more ambiguous in its presentation of gender\, class and crime and is much more socially challenging\, maybe more akin to Gaskell!” \nThis sixth and final session will be a general discussion on the critical reception of the novel. \nWhere we can\, it will be good to draw parallels with Gaskell’s work to see if there are any literary connections between her writing (both her realist and more Gothic works) and Sensation Fiction.  We hope to see you either in Knutsford or online. Happy reading! \n \n Extracts and Points to Ponder coming soon\n \nDoors open from 1pm: feel free to bring a packed lunch. The study session and Zoom meeting will begin at 2pm. \nSimply come along and pay on the door\, or use the Book Now button below (no booking fee). Diane will also run the sessions on Zoom\, so if you can’t join us in Knutsford\, join us online. You’ll receive the Zoom link with your ticket. \n\n \n \nBuy  Lady Audley’s Secret from Bookshop.org using the link below and the Gaskell Society will receive a small commission\, helping us to continue our activities. Bookshop.org also supports independent bookshops across the UK. \nWhere to find us\n\n Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\n\nAdam's Hill\,\n \n Knutsford\,\n WA16 8DY\n United Kingdom\n\n\n + Google Map \n\n \n \n \n\n View Venue Website \n\n\n\n \n Add to calendar \n \n \n \n\n\n Google Calendar\n\n\n iCalendar\n\n\n Outlook 365\n\n\n Outlook Live\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Sensation Fiction – Lady Audley's Secret URL:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsford-april-2027/ LOCATION:Brook Street Unitarian Chapel\, Adam's Hill\,\, Knutsford\, WA16 8DY\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Discussion,Knutsford,Zoom ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://gaskellsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lady-audleys-secret.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="The Gaskell Society":MAILTO:gaskellsociety@gmail.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR