Mary Barton season at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House online

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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Mary Barton Season

18 January-13 December 2023

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Elizabeth Gaskell's House
Elizabeth Gaskell's House
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The team at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House on Plymouth Grove has already celebrated the author’s famous novels Cranford and North And South, and in 2023 it’s the turn of Mary Barton: A Tale Of Manchester Life. The special season of events and online talks will feature various experts exploring the story, characters and industrial background of Chorlton-on-Medlock’s most famous writer Elizabeth Gaskell’s first novel.

Gaskell’s novel powerfully dramatises the historical reality of Victorian life.

Written in 1848, the novel is a tale of class strife, romantic love and action adventure, and follows the eponymous heroine Mary Barton, daughter of a trade unionist, as she finds herself torn between the working-class Jem Wilson and a mill owner’s son, Henry Carson. Mary’s dilemma, in the wake of tragic shooting, foresees the class struggle and romantic plot of later works such as North And South, and Gaskell’s novel powerfully dramatises the historical reality of Victorian life. In the opening event on 18 January, the speaker Elizabeth Williams will provide an introductory look at Mary Barton: A Tale Of Manchester Life, giving audiences the chance to find out more about the context in which the book was written, including industrial Manchester and Elizabeth Gaskell’s personal life.

The following week, on 25 January, Dr Diane Duffy is back by popular demand, exploring ‘Mary Barton’s Manchester’,  leading participants on a virtual literary journey of discovery to the places, buildings and landmarks of the city as featured in the novel, with extracts from the text to map the way. Says the blurb: ‘This fascinating talk will interest anyone who wants to find out more about historical reality in Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing.’

The Mary Barton Season continues on 15 February, with a nod to Valentine’s Day by comparing Elizabeth Gaskell’s heart-throbs to Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy, then March and April’s events focus on the role of women as both author and heroine. More on those soon – watch this space – and don’t forget to check out the monthly secondhand book sale in the house itself.

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Where to go near Mary Barton season at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House online

Chinatown
Restaurant
Pho Cue

Family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Prepare to queue for Pho Cue.

Come to Swithens Farm for a great family day out in Leeds. Our farm has plenty to offer whatever age you are!Swithens Farm is a working farm. For many years now Ian and his wife Angela have built a following that they welcome in all year around. We now have a farm shop, café, playbarn and petting farm. When we first opened we only had the usual farm animals – cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and it was free entry. We now have llamas, alpacas, meerkats, rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys and a pony.On the working farm, we breed our own cows, pigs and sheep and we sell the meat through the farm shop and the café. If you buy a sausage sandwich from the café the sausage will be from the butcher who has made the sausage by hand using our own pork. We also produce our own free-range eggs.
Leeds
Swithens Farm

Swithens Farm is a working farm. For many years now Ian and his wife Angela have built a following that they welcome in all year around.

Peak District
Restaurant
The Chequers Inn

The Chequers Inn is a 16th century, family-run, traditional country inn with an impressive dining space. The Peak District at its best.

Testbed Main Space
Leeds
Event venue
TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

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