David Barnes offers a personal view from the Gaskell Society Conference. And ICYMI, we have a list of items viewed at the Brotherton Library.
It’s a tribute to literary societies that, before we ever had Artificial Intelligence, they have enabled us all to make links across a whole range of human interest and study. This year’s Gaskell Society conference displayed that heritage in full measure as an asset for wellbeing. That’s real intelligence, what a big claim!
Here’s a personal take on the conference proceedings, bearing in mind that this was my fourth Gaskell conference, having attended my first one in 1990 at Scarborough and Whitby. I did find out at the conference this year that I am surpassed in membership length by several other members; what a tribute to the sustainability of a society, a topic I will return to with a talk for the Gaskell Society in the new winter programme. Winter was the last thing on people’s minds in Ilkley, it was hot!
The Craiglands Hotel was a splendid venue and at times I felt we were in the foothills of the Himalayas, above the heat on the plains. After a nifty whizz around the history of Ilkley on the Friday evening, we all settled in for a confection of literary links. I’ve attended many conferences, professionally and for leisure and the merit of many is to inspire ideas about aspects of our world beyond the core content. This conference did that in buckets and spades.
Scarlette-Electra Le Blanc told us before lunch on Saturday, the fairy tale world combines magical supernatural characters with realist contemporary realist characters and it made me think how the immersive experience of literary conferences can generate a suspension of the world outside and give free rein to imaginative explorations. Mrs Gaskell’s characters come alive in the company of enthusiastic Gaskellians over breakfast and dinner.
The conference programme excellently explored this dynamic and a plethora of ideas were inspired through the topics of sensationalisms, community, the business of publishing and fashion before getting down to the economic realities and the vagaries of risk. The presentations were completed with a fascinating exposition by Miriam Reynolds of the theological basis of Ruth which showed how Mrs Gaskell could connect real-world problems with a narrative grounded in belief sustained across the centuries.
I didn’t do the visits to Thornton or East Riddlesden but the trip to the Brotherton Library was another opportunity for surreal imagination. The coach travelled through Headingley swarming in the heat with people celebrating graduation or anticipating the latest football fixture, or both perhaps?
The Library was an oasis of calm and the archives kindly set out for us by Sarah Prescott and her team were fascinating.
Manuscripts of Sylvia’s Lovers and Charles Dickens letters absorbed much attention and the perspicacity of Meta’s comments on a draft of Mrs Ellis Chadwick’s 1910 biography of Mrs Gaskell generated both admiration and humour in good measure. I particularly liked the comment re John Ruskin’s hospitality, seen here [photo].
Elizabeth Gaskell’s legacy is in good hands as the enthusiasm and erudition of the Gaskell Society members and guest speakers at this conference showed; a much more enjoyable and sustainable form of intelligence than anything artificial.
Items on view from the Brotherton’s Special Collections
If you’d like to see (again) what the archivist, Sarah Prescott at the Brotherton Library showed to members of the Society on Saturday 11 July, here’s a list.[BC MS 19c Gaskell/01], File, Sylvia’s Lovers annotated manuscript (slightly incomplete)[BC MS 19c Gaskell/04/26], Item, ECG letter to Miss Taylor[MS 2266/05], File, Elizabeth Gaskell letter concerning Haworth sanitation[MS 2348], Collection, Mrs Ellis Chadwick Correspondence and Corrections to Gaskell Biography[BC MS 19c Gaskell/04/01/1], File, Frederika Bremer letter to ECG[BC MS 19c Gaskell/04/03/1], Item, ECG letter to Harriet Carr[BC MS 19c Brontë/03/02/24], Item, Letter to W S Williams[BC MS 19c Brontë/07/13], Item, Ellen Nussey regarding Mrs Gaskell, fragment concerning Patrick Bronte and A B Nicholls[BC MS 19c Dickens], Collection, Charles Dickens, correspondence with related materialThese can be found through the catalogue (https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1500/special_collections).Of the items displayed, the following have been digitised and can be viewed through the catalogue:[BC MS 19c Gaskell/01], File, Sylvia’s Lovers annotated manuscript (slightly incomplete)[MS 2266/05], File, Elizabeth Gaskell letter concerning Haworth sanitation[BC MS 19c Brontë/03/02/24], Item, Letter to W S Williams[BC MS 19c Brontë/07/13], Item, Ellen Nussey regarding Mrs Gaskell, fragment concerning Patrick Bronte and A B Nicholls