Talking about Shirley

An online alert for today, November 1. A joint event by the Brontë Parsonage Museum, the Elizabeth Gaskell House, and The Portico.

Online Event: Shirley – Charlotte Brontë and The Industrial Novel

1st Nov 2023

7pm - 8.30pm

Charlotte 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 sadness of family loss?

Brontë’s Shirley was set amongst the tumultuous times of the Napoleonic Wars and Luddite machine breakers. Her strong female characters and industrial strife show the author had plenty to say about contemporary class and sexual politics, much like her friend Elizabeth Gaskell in her first novel, Mary Barton.

This special partnership event explores the historical reality behind Charlotte’s writing including her beloved Yorkshire moors, famous sisters and the status of women in Victorian life.

Enjoy an online evening with like-minded people and join us as we delve into the original novel. There’s even the opportunity to see a first edition of both Shirley and Mary Barton live from the Portico.

This event will include three speakers and ​Q&A session.

Speakers include:

Andrew Stodolny, Learning Officer at Brontë Parsonage Museum

Dr Emma Liggins, Reader in English Literature and Co-Director of the Long Nineteenth-Century Network at Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Debbie Challis, Events Producer at The Portico