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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20261015T183000
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DTSTAMP:20260922T145524Z
CREATED:20260922T145524Z
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SUMMARY:Heritage talk: The Gothic Landscape of the Pendle Witches
DESCRIPTION:Join Alex Bevan and Hannah Singleton\, in partnershipwith the Centre for Gothic Studies at ManchesterMetropolitan University\, for two talks which explorethe ways the trial and executions of the PendleWitches are remembered through tourism\, souvenirs\,and artworks in the Lancashire landscape. Since the1612 execution of the ten accused Pendle Witches\,many writers and artists have imagined their story formodern audiences\, positioning the places they livedand traversed as Gothic landscapes that are hauntedby a mysterious and troubled history
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/heritage-talk-the-gothic-landscape-of-the-pendle-witches/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/09/Pendle-witches.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20261013T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20261013T200000
DTSTAMP:20260922T170621Z
CREATED:20260922T170620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T170621Z
UID:1729-1791916200-1791921600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Ghost Month: Simon Wroe in conversation with Susan Barker
DESCRIPTION:Ghost Month – Simon Wroe in conversation with Susan Barker \n\n\n\nSerenity Booksellers (Romiley)\, Stockport\, SK6 4EA \n\n\n\nTuesday 13th October 2026 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpooky season approaches and we’re delighted to be hosting a suitably sinister evening with Simon Wroe to celebrate the release of his new book Ghost Month. Based on real-life traditions\, Ghost Month is a darkly funny novel that imagines a London where every September the dead return – and the living must simply carry on alongside them. Full of wit\, heart and charm\, it asks a timeless question: do we only value life when we are reminded that it will end?Recently picked as a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick\, Ghost Month has been getting rave reviews from early readers and we can’t wait to welcome Simon to Romiley on Tuesday 13th October when he’ll be discussing the book with Susan Barker (Old Soul). The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A and booksigning.Tickets are just £5.00 (or £16.99 including a copy of the book) and light refereshments are included. Doors: 6.00pm\, starts: 6.30pm About the book: \n\n\n\nPerhaps you’ve already noticed little things\, strange details. A shadow not attached to anything. A face in a window which might be a trick of the light. They come at dusk. Today. \n\n\n\nEvery September\, the spirits of the dead return before vanishing four weeks later in a puff of green ash. \n\n\n\nThe haunting has become a holiday – part Christmas\, part Halloween\, full of annual reckonings with the past. The ghosts aren’t real in any way that can hurt you\, so it’s hard to tell the silent spectres from ashen commuters: they linger on train platforms\, they crowd buses\, they take up space on your sofa. The proper term these days is ‘people without pulses’. \n\n\n\nThis year\, four strangers prepare for a visit from their dearly departed. The season forces them to confront all the things that haunt them\, not just their dead. As suppressed truths emerge from the shadows\, each of them will end Ghost Month changed in ways they never imagined. \n\n\n\nHappy Haunting. \n\n\n\nAbout the author:Simon Wroe is an award-winning author\, journalist and former chef. His debut novel\, Chop Chop\, was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Prize\, longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize\, and won a Betty Trask Award. He lives in Hackney\, east London.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/ghost-month-simon-wroe-in-conversation-with-susan-barker/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20261007T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20261007T200000
DTSTAMP:20260922T172242Z
CREATED:20260922T150209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T172242Z
UID:1722-1791399600-1791403200@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Mary Shelley: Beyond Frankenstein (online talk) by Sharon Ruston
DESCRIPTION:Whilst popular culture remembers the lightning flash and the stitched-together creature\, Frankenstein remains one of the most searching meditations on science\, loneliness\, and what it means to be human. Remarkably\, Mary Shelley was still a teenager when she wrote it. \n\n\n\nBook now \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFrom the icy wastes of the Arctic in Frankenstein to the uncanny resurrections and transformations of her shorter fiction\, this online event celebrates the enduring imagination of the so-called “Mother of Science Fiction.” Professor Sharon Ruston from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies explores the story of Frankenstein’s creature alongside Mary Shelley’s lesser-known tales. \n\n\n\nShe shows how stories such as On Ghosts\, Roger Dodsworth: The Reanimated Englishman\, Valerius: The Reanimated Roman\, and Transformation continue to reveal Shelley’s lifelong fascination with animation\, identity\, and the boundaries between life and death.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/mary-shelley-beyond-frankenstein-online-talk/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260918T093000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260918T173000
DTSTAMP:20260623T110120Z
CREATED:20260623T110119Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T110120Z
UID:1637-1789723800-1789752600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Speculative Fiction and Criticism in Precarious Times
DESCRIPTION:‘Speculative Fiction and Criticism in Precarious Times’ is a conference celebrating a rich network of postgraduate research students working with speculative fiction and criticism across the United Kingdom. Taking place on Friday 18th September at Lancaster University\, the conference will feature an array of diverse papers along with a plenary lecture (tbc) and a roundtable discussion from world-leading academics including Dr. Anna McFarlane\, Dr Chloe Wake\, Dr Xavier Aldana-Reyes and Dr. Oliver Langmead. This event is proudly funded by the NWCDTP Cohort Development Fund. \n\n\n\nSpeculation has long been associated with the study of arts and humanities. We invite papers that consider how fiction and criticism can speculate about the precarious times that we live in. Particularly\, academics across the world face insecurity and instability within their institutions due to systemic discrediting of the arts and humanities. We ask our speakers to consider how the practice of speculation can respond to experiences of precarity\, and what potential it has for finding a way through. \n\n\n\nThe CfP is currently open to (only) PGR students!
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/speculative-fiction-and-criticism-in-precarious-times/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260718T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260718T130000
DTSTAMP:20260623T132603Z
CREATED:20260623T132601Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T132603Z
UID:1652-1784376000-1784379600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Women Writers and the Haunted House
DESCRIPTION:with Dr Emma Liggins\, Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies: join us for a fascinating talk about C19th women writers and the haunted house! \n\n\n\nThis talk considers women writers’ fascination with the haunted house in the nineteenth century. From Mary Shelley to Elizabeth Gaskell\, Mary Braddon to Rosa Mulholland\, women used the ghost story format to call out patriarchal abuse and reframe their own domestic experiences. Ghosts not only signalled the return of the past and the dangers of modernity\, they also commented on servants\, maternity\, illegitimacy\, colonialism and conflicted feelings about death and disease. Come along to find out about the ways in which women writers of the uncanny used hauntings to explore family trauma and the costs of inhabiting spaces governed by male rules. \n\n\n\nDr Emma Liggins is a Reader in English Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University and the Co-Director of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. She is the author of several books\, including The Haunted House in Women’s Ghost Stories\, 1850-1945. \n\n\n\nThis is a Haworth: Home of Gothic Literature event for the Haworth Festival
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/women-writers-and-the-haunted-house/
LOCATION:The Old School Room\, Church Street\, Haworth\, BD22 8DR\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260711T124500
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260711T132400
DTSTAMP:20260623T101113Z
CREATED:20260623T101112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T101113Z
UID:1629-1783773900-1783776240@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:From Benighted to Rocky Horror: A Gothic Lineage
DESCRIPTION:From Benighted to Rocky Horror: A Gothic Lineage (11 July). \n\n\n\nDiscover the dark and fascinating world of J.B. Priestley’s Benighted in this compelling panel exploring the novel’s place within the tradition of British Gothic literature.   \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBringing together leading voices in Gothic studies and performance\, the discussion examines how Priestley’s eerie country house setting\, psychological tension and unsettling atmosphere helped shape the enduring ‘haunted house psychodrama.’  \n\n\n\nDuncan Gates\, director of the 2016 stage adaptation of Benighted at the Old Red Lion Theatre\, joins Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes\, founding member of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Centre for Gothic Studies\, to explore the defining elements of the Gothic mode\, from fear and the uncanny to architecture and isolation.   \n\n\n\nThe panel will also consider the novel’s influence on later adaptations and cult classics\, including The Old Dark House and even The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Perfect for lovers of literature\, theatre\, film and Gothic storytelling\, this event reclaims Benighted as an essential and influential work within the Gothic canon. 
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/from-benighted-to-rocky-horror-a-gothic-lineage/
LOCATION:Bradford Literature Festival\, Festival Hub\, City Park\, Bradford\, BD1 1HY
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-23-110503.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260709T150000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260709T163000
DTSTAMP:20260703T081209Z
CREATED:20260703T080736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260703T081209Z
UID:1695-1783609200-1783614600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Penzance Lit Fest: FROM PERIODIC TABLE TO POETRY\, WITH SHARON RUSTON
DESCRIPTION:Tickets are now on sale for the Penzance LitFest\, taking place from 7-11 July. See the full lineup \n\n\n\nHere \n\n\n\nDOWNLOAD PDF PROGRAMME \n\n\n\nFeatured Gothic Event: FROM PERIODIC TABLE TO POETRY\, WITH PROFESSOR SHARON RUSTON (Manchester Metropolitan) \n\n\n\nThu 9th July: 3:00pm to 4:30pm \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSir Humphry Davy was perhaps the most famous 19th-century chemist but\, here in Cornwall\, he is better known for his invention of the safety lamp that saved the lives of thousands of miners. Born in Penzance\, he is immortalised with a statue at the head of Market Jew Street in the town. However\, the Davy Notebooks Project\, led by Professor Sharon Ruston of Manchester Metropolitan University\, which involved over 3\,800 volunteer transcribers worldwide\, revealed an altogether different side to his character.   Within his notebooks\, he also penned a rich collection of poems\, from love lyrics to reflections on his scientific experiments and geology\, and travels across Europe. These works showcase both his diverse interests and something of the creative process at work. Sharon shares fresh insights from Davy’s newly edited poetry and the talk will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPixel Penzance Tickets: £6.00
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/penzance-lit-fest-from-periodic-table-to-poetry-with-sharon-ruston/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-03-091056.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260708T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260708T200000
DTSTAMP:20260616T135827Z
CREATED:20260616T135826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T135827Z
UID:1626-1783533600-1783540800@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Think\, Feel\, Write! Brief Hauntings
DESCRIPTION:A Free 2-Part creative writing workshop on ghosts\, haunting and the uncanny \n\n\n\nWorkshop 1: Monday 29th June 6-8pm \n\n\n\nWorkshop 2: Wednesday 8th July 6-8pm \n\n\n\nOverview \n\n\n\nDare to dive into the supernatural: join our free workshops and write haunting tales for Flush Fiction! \n\n\n\nStep into the shadows at Levenshulme Old Library for a two-part\, free creative writing workshop that’s equal parts eerie and inspiring. Guided by experts blending psychology and storytelling\, you’ll explore why certain places\, memories\, and stories linger with us\, using psychological insights to craft flash fiction inspired by ghosts\, the uncanny\, and the mysteries woven into Manchester’s urban fabric. \n\n\n\nIf you like\, your story will be transformed into public art as part of Flush Fiction\, displayed across Levenshulme in unexpected places for others to discover. Your words could surprise and intrigue readers where they least expect it! \n\n\n\nEverything you need is provided: pens\, notepads\, and plenty of inspiration. Bring a laptop or other materials if you wish\, and come as you are: seasoned writer or total beginner\, all are welcome. Refreshments will be served to fuel your creativity. (Just let us know your dietary needs 48 hours ahead.) \n\n\n\nGuiding you through the shadows are Jennie Dayes and Catherine Wilcox\, blending their expertise as psychologist and writer. Drawing on their multidisciplinary research at Manchester Metropolitan University and their book\, Think\, Feel\, Write\, they’ll help you unlock new creative depths. \n\n\n\nDr Jennie Dayes is a senior lecturer in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University\, and a counselling psychologist. Trained in therapeutic models which explore the state of being human\, Jennie applies this theoretical knowledge to her own fiction. Jennie completed her MA in Creative Writing this year. \n\n\n\nDr Catherine Wilcox is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University\, and co-leader of the Centre for Fiction Research group. Writing as Catherine Fox\, she is author of eight adult novels. \n\n\n\nFor more information and to book a place: Think\, Feel\, Write! Tickets\, Multiple dates | Eventbrite
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/think-feel-write-brief-hauntings-2/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/06/Brief-Hauntings.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260629T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20260629T200000
DTSTAMP:20260616T135618Z
CREATED:20260616T135448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260616T135618Z
UID:1622-1782756000-1782763200@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Think\, Feel\, Write! Brief Hauntings
DESCRIPTION:A Free 2-Part creative writing workshop on ghosts\, haunting and the uncanny \n\n\n\nWorkshop 1: Monday 29th June 6-8pm \n\n\n\nWorkshop 2: Wednesday 8th July 6-8pm \n\n\n\nOverview \n\n\n\nDare to dive into the supernatural: join our free workshops and write haunting tales for Flush Fiction! \n\n\n\nStep into the shadows at Levenshulme Old Library for a two-part\, free creative writing workshop that’s equal parts eerie and inspiring. Guided by experts blending psychology and storytelling\, you’ll explore why certain places\, memories\, and stories linger with us\, using psychological insights to craft flash fiction inspired by ghosts\, the uncanny\, and the mysteries woven into Manchester’s urban fabric. \n\n\n\nIf you like\, your story will be transformed into public art as part of Flush Fiction\, displayed across Levenshulme in unexpected places for others to discover. Your words could surprise and intrigue readers where they least expect it! \n\n\n\nEverything you need is provided: pens\, notepads\, and plenty of inspiration. Bring a laptop or other materials if you wish\, and come as you are: seasoned writer or total beginner\, all are welcome. Refreshments will be served to fuel your creativity. (Just let us know your dietary needs 48 hours ahead.) \n\n\n\nGuiding you through the shadows are Jennie Dayes and Catherine Wilcox\, blending their expertise as psychologist and writer. Drawing on their multidisciplinary research at Manchester Metropolitan University and their book\, Think\, Feel\, Write\, they’ll help you unlock new creative depths. \n\n\n\nDr Jennie Dayes is a senior lecturer in Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University\, and a counselling psychologist. Trained in therapeutic models which explore the state of being human\, Jennie applies this theoretical knowledge to her own fiction. Jennie completed her MA in Creative Writing this year. \n\n\n\nDr Catherine Wilcox is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University\, and co-leader of the Centre for Fiction Research group. Writing as Catherine Fox\, she is author of eight adult novels. \n\n\n\nFor more information and to book a place: Think\, Feel\, Write! Tickets\, Multiple dates | Eventbrite
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/think-feel-write-brief-hauntings/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/06/Brief-Hauntings.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260619T123000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260619T123000
DTSTAMP:20260609T155359Z
CREATED:20260609T155358Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T155359Z
UID:1615-1781872200-1781872200@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Alice Kipling’s Haunted Life – Melissa Edmundson\, Clemson University\, USA
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on June 19th for a keynote talk on Alice Kipling’s Haunted Life by Melissa Edmundson Makala (Clemson University\, USA.) for the Global Ghosts and Regional Hauntologies International Symposium; a two-day research discussion and exchange on British and Indian ghosts. \n\n\n\nThis Talk is chaired by Dr Emma Liggins (Manchester Metropolitan University) and has been made a public event by symposium coordinators at: \n\n\n\nManchester Centre for Gothic Studies\, Manchester Metropolitan University\, Manchester\, UK \n\n\n\nSt Teresa’s College\, Ernakulum\, Kerala\, India. \n\n\n\nThis is an international event. Please be aware of the following time zones and join the event accordingly: \n\n\n\n12.30-13.30pm (BST) \n\n\n\n5.00-6.00pm (IST) \n\n\n\nAbout Melissa Edmundson Makala \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMelissa Edmundson is Senior Lecturer of English at Clemson University and specializes in women’s supernatural fiction. She is the author of Women’s Ghost Literature in Nineteenth-Century Britain (University of Wales Press\, 2013) and Women’s Colonial Gothic Writing\, 1850-1930: Haunted Empire (Palgrave Macmillan\, 2018). She has edited several editions for Handheld Press\, including Women’s Weird: Strange Stories by Women\, 1890-1940 (2019) and Women’s Weird 2: More Strange Stories by Women\, 1891-1937 (2020). Her single-author editions include the supernatural and imaginative short fiction of D. K. Broster\, Clotilde Graves\, Elinor Mordaunt\, E. Nesbit\, Charlotte Riddell\, and Helen de Guerry Simpson. Her work on British women’s Anglo-Indian fiction includes two critical editions\, Alice Perrin’s East of Suez (1901)\, published by Victorian Secrets Press in 2011\, and a Broadview Edition of Dinah Mulock Craik’s The Half-Caste (1851) published in 2016. \n\n\n\nAbout the Talk \n\n\n\nAlice “Trix” Kipling (1868-1948) was shaped by her time in Anglo-India and wrote stories and novels influenced by the British colonial experience. Her ghost story “The Haunted Cabin” appeared in the collaborative volume Quartette (1885) alongside stories by her brother Rudyard\, followed by “At a Christmas Ball\,” published in 1892. Later in life\, Alice became increasingly interested in the occult\, particularly the belief in “second sight” and automatic writing. These interests led her to become active in the Society for Psychical Research under the alias “Mrs. Holland.” This talk will explore the life and supernatural writings of Alice Kipling and consider how adding another Kipling to the list of those who wrote Anglo-Indian ghost fiction can enrich our understanding of this Gothic subgenre.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/alice-kiplings-haunted-life-melissa-edmundson-clemson-university-usa/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/06/Alice-Kipling.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260618T123000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260618T123000
DTSTAMP:20260609T155023Z
CREATED:20260609T155022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T155023Z
UID:1610-1781785800-1781785800@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:'Indian Ghosts': A Talk by Tabish Khair\, University of Aarhus\, Denmark
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on June 18th for a keynote talk by Tabish Khair (University of Aarhus\, Denmark) for the Global Ghosts and Regional Hauntologies International Symposium; a two-day research discussion and exchange on British and Indian ghosts. \n\n\n\nThis Talk is chaired by Dr Matt Foley (Manchester Metropolitan University) and has been made a public event by symposium coordinators at: \n\n\n\nManchester Centre for Gothic Studies\, Manchester Metropolitan University\, Manchester\, UK \n\n\n\nSt Teresa’s College\, Ernakulum\, Kerala\, India. \n\n\n\nThis is an international event. Please be aware of the following time zones and join the event accordingly: \n\n\n\n12.30-13.30pm (BST) \n\n\n\n5.00-6.00pm (IST) \n\n\n\nAbout Tabish Khair \n\n\n\nTabish Khair is an Indian poet\, novelist and academic. He is an associate professor in the Department of English\, Aarhus University\, Denmark. His most recent book is the study\, LITERATURE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM (Oxford UP\, 2024) and he has a new novel\, DROWN ALL THE REFUGEES\, forthcoming in 2026.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/indian-ghosts-a-talk-by-tabish-khair-university-of-aarhus-denmark/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/06/Tabish-Khair.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260613T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260613T200000
DTSTAMP:20260407T154814Z
CREATED:20260407T154549Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T154814Z
UID:1597-1781377200-1781380800@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Amelia Edwards’s Ghost Stories and Dark Tourism with Emma Liggins
DESCRIPTION:Overview \n\n\n\nAn exploration of the lesser-known but fascinating nineteenth-century author Amelia Edwards. \n\n\n\nAmelia Edwards was a popular and unconventional British writer of ghost stories\, murder mysteries and novels in the mid-Victorian period. She was also iconic for her celebrated work in Ancient Egypt\, becoming one of the first female Egyptologists and founding the Egyptian Exploration Fund (Society). Both her stories and her travel writing are significant for their evocative descriptions of haunted places\, particularly Italy and Egypt\, and their uses of the tropes of dark tourism. \n\n\n\nThis talk compares representations of place\, space\, death and travel in ghost stories such as ‘The Four-Fifteen Express’\, ‘The Engineer’ and ‘The Story of Salome’ and the murder mystery ‘The Tragedy in the Palazzo Bardello’\, set in Rome. I’ll also talk about Victorian dark tourism and Edwards’ visiting of ancient tombs in her intrepid journey down the Nile. The late nineteenth century saw the popularity of Egyptian Gothic marketed to British audiences (Borwein\, 2021; Sullivan\, 2025). Debates within death studies about dark tourism’s connections with ritual\, ambiguity and darkness (Toussaint and Decrop\, 2013; Darvay\, 2016;Stone\, 2006; Seaton\, 2002) can be linked to her attempt to reimagine lost cities of the dead. As in the place writing of Edwards’ contemporary Vernon Lee\, which lingers on the half-erased memorials on Italian tombs and churches\, forgotten stories of violent and/or oppressed women can be activated and excavated by the tourist gaze. The dark tourist may be both horrified and thrilled by their encounter with the past. \n\n\n\nDr Emma Liggins is Reader in English and Co-Director of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her publications include The British Short Story (with Andrew Maunder &Ruth Robbins) (Palgrave\, 2011) and The Haunted House in Women’s Ghost Stories\, 1850-1945: Gender\, Space and Modernity (Palgrave\, 2020). She has edited a special issue of VPR on the Strand Magazine (2021) and has chapters in The Edinburgh Companion to the Victorian Ghost Story (2025) and Ghosts and the Gothic (2025). She is currently working on a monograph Victorian and Edwardian Death Spaces: Gender and Memorialisation for Manchester University Press.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/amelia-edwardss-ghost-stories-and-dark-tourism-with-emma-liggins/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260606T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260606T160000
DTSTAMP:20260310T123022Z
CREATED:20260310T123021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T123022Z
UID:1583-1780740000-1780761600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Ann Radcliffe\, St Albans Abbey and the Gothic
DESCRIPTION:Follow in the footsteps of Romantic-era poet and Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe (1764–1823)\, whose St Alban’s [sic] Abbey; A Metrical Romance (1826) brings to life the opening battle of the Wars of the Roses at  St Albans in 1455. Join Dr Elizabeth Bobbitt\, Professor Dale Townshend and award-winning writer Rosie Garland (Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature) for a special study day marking the 200th anniversary of the poem and looking ahead to its forthcoming Cambridge University Press scholarly edition. The programme features short talks and readings\, a literary tour of the cathedral\, and a creative writing workshop led by Rosie Garland.   \n\n\n\nStudy Day Itinerary \n\n\n\n10 – 10.30am:  Registration over tea and coffee \n\n\n\n10.30am: Welcome and Introduction to Ann Radcliffe and St Alban’s Abbey: A Poetical Romance. \n\n\n\n11.30am – 12.30pm: Mapping Radcliffe’s St Alban’s Abbey: A Guided Tour of St Alban’s Cathedral and Surrounding Abbey Ruins \n\n\n\n12.30 – 1.30pm: Lunch break \n\n\n\n1.30 – 3.30pm: ‘Locating the Spirit of Ancient Days:’ Radcliffe as Literary Tourist – Creative Writing Workshop \n\n\n\n3.30-4pm: Share your poetry! \n\n\n\n4pm: Closing Remarks \n\n\n\nPlease note that this event will be held in-person only and will not be livestreamed or recorded.  \n\n\n\nAbout Dr Elizabeth Bobbit |  Elizabeth is a research associate at the University of York. She is currently co-editing Radcliffe’s posthumous works with Professor Dale Townshend for the Cambridge edition of Radcliffe’s complete works.  \n\n\n\nAbout Professor Dale Townsend |  Dale Townsend is Professor of Gothic Literature in the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies\, Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published widely on Gothic fiction of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.  \n\n\n\nAbout Rosie Garland | Rosie is a writing mentor and tutor for The Arvon Foundation\, Literature Works\, Nine Arches Press\, The Ruppin Agency and National Centre for Writing. Val McDermid named her one of the UK’s most compelling LGBT+ writers\, & in 2023 she was made Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature. 
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/ann-radcliffe-st-albans-abbey-and-the-gothic/
LOCATION:St Albans Cathedral\, Sumpter Yard St Albans\, Hertfordshire\, AL1 1BY
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2024/11/Ann-Radcliffe-Author.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260430T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260430T200000
DTSTAMP:20260223T080857Z
CREATED:20260223T080856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T080857Z
UID:1578-1777573800-1777579200@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Night Babies - Lucie McKnight Hardy in conversation with Andrew Michael Hurley
DESCRIPTION:Dark\, disturbing and quieltly devastating\, Night Babies is the haunting new novel from Lucie McKnight Hardy –  a pitch perfect slice of folk-horror that sees a troubled artist haunted by her past in rural Wales. Lucie will be in conversation with Andrew Michael Hurley (Starve Acre\, Barrowbeck) and the talk will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.Tickets are £5.00 each or £18.99 including a copy of Night Babies.  Light refreshments are included in the ticket price.Event starts at 6:30pm (doors at 6pm) \n\n\n\nAbout the author: \n\n\n\nLucie McKnight Hardy is the author of Water Shall Refuse Them\, which was shortlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition and longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award and the short story collection Dead Relatives. Lucie grew up in West Wales and is a Welsh speaker. She has also lived in Liverpool\, Cardiff\, Zurich and Bradford\, and now lives in Hay-on-Wye.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/night-babies-lucie-mcknight-hardy-in-conversation-with-andrew-michael-hurley/
LOCATION:Serenity Booksellers\, Stockport\, SK1 1UD\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/02/night-babies.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260321T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260322T235959
DTSTAMP:20260120T180329Z
CREATED:20260120T180328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260120T180329Z
UID:1556-1774051200-1774223999@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Folk Horror and the Urban Wyrd
DESCRIPTION:York Festival of Hauntology \n\n\n\n\n\nYork Literature Festival and the Hauntology & Spectrality Research Group have partnered to launch York’s first-ever festival of Hauntology. \n\n\n\nFrom Saturday 21st -Sunday 22nd March\, authors from across the country will gather to celebrate Folk Horror & the Urban Wyrd. Including appearances from Ramsey Campbell\, Dan Coxon\, Lucie McKnight Hardy\, Andrew Michael Hurley and Lucy Rose\, the festival is to comprise at least 8 events with more to be announced. \n\n\n\nWeekend passes are sold out\, but do not worry! Single tickets for all of the author events\, their prices\, and event timings will be available on the festival website from 1pm on Fri 23 January. \n\n\n\nFor information and tickets visit: EVENTS – York Literature Festival and scroll down.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/folk-horror-and-the-urban-wyrd/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-20-175730.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260313T163000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260313T183000
DTSTAMP:20260310T125350Z
CREATED:20260310T125349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T125350Z
UID:1587-1773419400-1773426600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Gothic Film Club Presents ... The Ritual
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/gothic-film-club-presents-the-ritual/
LOCATION:Soda Cinema\, Room G.05\, 14 Higher Chatham St\, Manchester\, M15 6ED
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/03/March-13th-Screening-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260310T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260310T170000
DTSTAMP:20260310T125836Z
CREATED:20260310T125835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T125836Z
UID:1593-1773129600-1773162000@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Creative Gothic Workshop: The Reality of Speculative Horror
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/creative-gothic-workshop-the-reality-of-speculative-horror/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/03/image.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260305T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260305T200000
DTSTAMP:20251113T174821Z
CREATED:20251008T113347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T174821Z
UID:1409-1772735400-1772740800@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Michael Stewart & Yvonne Battle-Felton in conversation
DESCRIPTION:Manchester Blackwell’s presents an eerie evening of gothic fiction with Michael Stewart and Yvonne Battle-Felton
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/michael-stewart-yvonne-battle-felton-in-conversation/
LOCATION:Blackwell’s Bookshop\, 146 Oxford Road\, Manchester\, M13 9GP
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_1113140303_196354069015_1_original.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260225T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260225T203000
DTSTAMP:20260120T181019Z
CREATED:20260120T181018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260120T181019Z
UID:1559-1772044200-1772051400@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:An Evening with Liam Higginson & Andrew Michael Hurley – Authors in Conversation
DESCRIPTION:Join ebb & flo bookshop in The Studio at Chorley Theatre for an evening of conversation with two outstanding storytellers of dark folklore and modern gothic. \n\n\n\nLiam Higginson ‘The Hill in the Dark Grove’   \n\n\n\nWelsh author Liam’s debut novel set deep in the mountains of North Wales\, is a story about a lost way of life and the terrifying lengths we go to in order to protect what we know.     \n\n\n\nCarwyn and Rhian – the last in a long line of sheep farmers – are living out a brutal year on their hillside farm\, deep in the mountains of North Wales. When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land\, his curiosity quickly descends into obsession. His wife\, Rhian\, meanwhile\, is confronted with the growing realization that the man with whom she shares her life and home is becoming a frightening stranger. As the harsh winter closes in\, Rhian finds herself alone with her increasingly unrecognizable husband\, and the mountains\, and the looming megalithic stones. \n\n\n\nAndrew Michael Hurley ‘Saltwash’   \n\n\n\nLancashire-based author Andrew’s latest novel is a sinister seaside tale of regret\, remorse and grief. Set in a decaying hotel and with a cast of uncanny characters\, this is Hurley at his dark\, folkloric best.  His previous books include The Loney\, Starve Acre and Barrowbeck. \n\n\n\nThe dilapidated seaside town of Saltwash isn’t a place that Tom Shift would have chosen to come to at all\, let alone on such a bleak November afternoon. But his new friend\, Oliver Keele\, has insisted on meeting for dinner at the Castle Hotel\, where the owners\, the Paleys\, try their best to cling on to the glory days.  Both terminally ill\, Tom and Oliver have been bound by the saddest of circumstances\, though they have found some solace in writing to one another via a pen-pal scheme set up by their respective cancer clinics. So far\, their friendship has been conducted solely through letters\, with Oliver proving himself to be a treasury of literary quips and quotes. Yet\, for all his flamboyance and verbosity\, he is guarded\, and Tom suspects that he is lonely and nomadic.  And Oliver sees Tom for what he is too: a man haunted by guilt and desperate to try and atone in some way before it’s too late. Regret is what brings others to the Castle. Much to Tom’s surprise\, dozens more guests appear\, dressed in their finest to take part in a prize draw that offers one person the chance of deliverance from their remorse.  But does everyone deserve the opportunity?
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/an-evening-with-liam-higginson-andrew-michael-hurley-authors-in-conversation/
LOCATION:Chorley Theatre Studio\, PR7 2RL\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/01/16135-17685666963092-m.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260221T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260221T110000
DTSTAMP:20260109T125155Z
CREATED:20260109T125154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T125155Z
UID:1543-1771668000-1771671600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Online Talk: “Laughed out of life and replaced by nothing”:​ Robert Aickman and the art of the artifice ghost story w. Brontë Schiltz
DESCRIPTION:Comma Press define the artifice story as a ‘type of short story [that] doesn’t derive its power from a “surprise” revelation\, or from the slow development of a central image\, but from the unlikely insertion of a seemingly incompatible ingredient right at the start.’ This format\, which diverges from the more traditional epical story (which culminates in a moment of revelation) and lyrical story (which centres on a repeated image) is typical of Robert Aickman’s formula. Aickman’s ‘strange stories’\, as he termed them\, written between 1951 and his death in 1981\, situate their protagonists in recognisable post-industrial landscapes populated by civil servants\, travelling salesmen and ‘huge hydroelectric installations’. But into these familiar(usually British) settings\, he introduced an often-indefinable element of strangeness: a hotel in which refusal of food results in extreme distress; lichen that grows on human skin. In so doing\, he troubled the very idea of normality\, drawing attention to the intentional construction of every aspect of our everyday lives – and the inequity reinforced or produced therein.This talk introduces Aickman’s unconventional ghostly tales\, in which ghosts only rarely appear in their traditional guise\, yet which frequently explore themes of haunting and spectrality. It then explores what we can learn from them – either as creatives or critics –about the construction of artifice ghost stories\, through which writers expose the unnatural and even monstrous nature of the quotidian\, from the unequal division of labour in marriage to the necessity of stifling passion to meet the practical demands of capitalism. \n\n\n\nBrontë Schiltz is a PHD candidate in Gothic and Televisual Studies at MMU’s Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. \n\n\n\nRomancing the Gothic host free online talks on ‘All the Gothic\, All the Romance\, All the Time’. See: Class Schedules – Romancing the Gothic
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/online-talk-laughed-out-of-life-and-replaced-by-nothing-robert-aickman-and-the-art-of-the-artifice-ghost-story-w-bronte-schiltz/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2024/10/PG-Bronte-Schiltz.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260217T183000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260217T200000
DTSTAMP:20260107T164236Z
CREATED:20260107T164235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T164236Z
UID:1537-1771353000-1771358400@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:ELIZABETH & RUTH: Livi Michael in conversation
DESCRIPTION:Overview \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for the launch of Livi Michael’s second novel! \n\n\n\nWe are thrilled to welcome Livi Michael back to Blackwell’s on the 17th of February to discuss her latest novel Elizabeth & Ruth. Livi will be in conversation with Emma Liggins\, co-director of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. There will also be a special themed quiz! \n\n\n\nDoors: 6.30pm\, starts: 6.45pm \n\n\n\nTickets are £4. Admission is free when purchasing a copy the book in advance. \n\n\n\nAbout the book: \n\n\n\nManchester\, 1849. Elizabeth Gaskell\, newly famous author of Mary Barton\, visits a young Irish prostitute in Manchester’s New Bailey prison. The girl is about to be discharged onto the Manchester streets\, where her old life of poverty and violence await her. Elizabeth is determined to help her\, but few people will employ an ex-prostitute from prison. \n\n\n\nIn desperation\, Elizabeth writes to Charles Dickens for advice.Based on the real correspondence between Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens\, Elizabeth and Ruth tells a story of hypocrisy and suppression\, and how Elizabeth navigates the censorship and prejudice of the day to help the young girl and to write the novel about her that will ultimately be banned and burned after publication. \n\n\n\nAbout the author: \n\n\n\nLivi Michael has written novels for adults\, young adults and children. Her twentieth novel\, Reservoir\, was published in March 2023 by Salt\, and her 21st novel\, Elizabeth and Ruth will be published by Salt in 2026. Her short stories have been published in various places including Granta\, The Lonely Crowd and the Manchester Review\, and have been long listed for the BBC National Short Story Award. Her play\, Singers Not Sinners about the first three women who were allowed to sing in a choir ( Oldham 1701 was performed in Oldham in 2022. \n\n\n\nLivi has taught creative writing in various universities and for the Arvon foundation\, and was Programme Leader of the MA in Publishing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She currently runs a podcast about short stories with the writer and translator Sonya Moor. \n\n\n\nIf you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book\, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331. \n\n\n\nOur event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer\, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event. Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books\, meet authors and likeminded readers and learn something new.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/elizabeth-ruth-livi-michael-in-conversation/
LOCATION:Blackwell’s Bookshop\, 146 Oxford Road\, Manchester\, M13 9GP\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2026/01/image-1.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260208T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260208T210000
DTSTAMP:20260109T130659Z
CREATED:20260109T130658Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T130659Z
UID:1549-1770577200-1770584400@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Gothic Fiction & The Female Writer
DESCRIPTION:What do Gothic novels and the supernatural have to do with feminism? A surprising amount. \n\n\n\nBack in the 18th century\, Gothic novels and ghost stories – many written by and for women – began to gain serious popularity. Behind the eerie castles and haunted houses\, many of these stories explored big questions about women’s roles in society: their work\, education\, independence\, and sexuality. \n\n\n\nThis talk looks at how women writers used horror and the supernatural to push back against the expectations of their time. By turning everyday anxieties into eerie\, unsettling fiction\, they revealed the darker sides of patriarchy and colonialism. From Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre\, and the ghost stories of Elizabeth Gaskell\, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and E. Nesbit\, women have long used Gothic fiction to explore what it really costs to be independent. And as the popularity of horror films and series like The Haunting of Hill House show\, the ghosts of lost female histories don’t stay buried for long. \n\n\n\nDoors open at 7pm\, talk starts at 7.30pm – come down early to grab a good seat! \n\n\n\nFollow us on IG @seedtalks \n\n\n\nDr Emma Liggins is a Reader in English Literature in the Department of English at Manchester Metropolitan University and Co-Director of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. She has published widely on the short story\, Victorian women’s writing and the supernatural. \n\n\n\nThis is a 16+ event
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/gothic-fiction-the-female-writer-2/
LOCATION:Temple Hall (York)\, 34 John Street\, York\, YO31 7TG
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/09/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_1114244593_2618052688991_1_original.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260203T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260203T190000
DTSTAMP:20251215T180704Z
CREATED:20251215T180703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251215T180704Z
UID:1527-1770139800-1770145200@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Bunker Talk #160: Kelly Jones x Adam Z. Robinson
DESCRIPTION:Stage Fright: Staging the Ghost Story \n\n\n\nThis event is presented by the Performance Research Group x Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. \n\n\n\nGhost stories have long been associated with performance. Many of us have enjoyed the thrill of sharing the telling of spooky tales around the winter fireside\, or the thrill of dressing up as a ghoul for Halloween. But what happens to the tales of the dead when they are brought to life in the theatre? Join host Brontë Schiltz (writer and academic)\, Adam Z. Robinson (writer\, actor and theatre-maker)\, Dr Kelly Jones (academic and author of Staging the Ghost Story: Shadows in the Limelight) as they discuss the thrills and challenges of staging the ghost story. \n\n\n\nDr Kelly Jones is Senior Lecturer in Drama at the University of Lincoln where she specialises in theatrical realisations of the supernatural and stage Gothic. Her most recent publication is Staging the Ghost Story: Shadows in the Limelight (Palgrave\, 2025).Adam Z. Robinson is a writer\, theatre-maker and award-winning author of flash fiction. His theatre work includes: Upon the Stair (“Everyone needs to see this show” – ✭✭✭✭½ The Reviews Hub) and Smile Club (✭✭✭✭ – The Guardian) co-written with Andrea Heaton. His plays The Book of Darkness & Light and Shivers toured nationally between 2016-2019. As well as his original plays\, Adam has adapted classic works for the stage: Nightmares (national tour 2024)\, Haunted (two national tours\, 2023) and A Christmas Carol (national tours 2019-25; residencies London 2022\, New Brunswick\, Canada\, 2023). Adam’s other writing includes: Conscientious (national tour 2014)\, Belle & Mary (a true crime play commissioned by The Dukes Lancaster) and Seaside Terror (national tours 2017-20) with OddDoll Theatre. His play\, Unhomely\, premiered at Leeds Playhouse in 2024 and is published\, along with his other playtexts\, with Playdead Press. Adam is the host of The Ghost Story Book Club podcast. www.adamzrobinson.com \n\n\n\nBunker Talks \n\n\n\nThis event is part of Bunker Talks. Bunker Talks invite artists and researchers to talk about who they are and what they do. Curated by the Performance Research Group at Manchester School of Art and the School of English\, Bunker Talks explore geopolitical\, ecological or economic concerns. The talks create space for critical encounters\, presentations\, provocation and dialogue as part of a civic conversation. \n\n\n\nOriginally conceived in the pandemic to explore how artists\, writers\, curators and researchers continued to make and share their work\, live Bunker Talks now take place at The Salutation every month. Since 2020\, over 150 talks have been hosted by Performance Researchers and colleagues from across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. All talks are recorded\, edited\, captioned and then archived to create an online catalogue\, capturing how artists\, makers and curators think about the world today. Find previous talks here: https://www.art.mmu.ac.uk/bunkertalks/
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/bunker-talk-160-kelly-jones-x-adam-z-robinson/
LOCATION:SODA (School of Digital Arts) Manchester Metropolitan University\, 14 Higher Chatham Street\, Manchester\, M15 6ED
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/12/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_1159455473_242794351235_1_original.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260128T123000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260128T153000
DTSTAMP:20251215T162245Z
CREATED:20251215T162244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251215T162245Z
UID:1521-1769603400-1769614200@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Gothic Music and the Lucy Hale archive: An Exhibition and Live Performance
DESCRIPTION:View instruments and manuscripts of Gothic-themed compositions from the RNCM archives\, accompanied by music written by composer Lucy Hale \n\n\n\nYou are invited to the first of a series of collaborative events between the Royal Northern College of Music Archives and the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies (Manchester Metropolitan University). This is a free event open to all. You can drop in any time between 12.30 and 15.30 or stay for the duration to enjoy the music\, talks and discussions. \n\n\n\nPlease join us in the Carole Nash Recital Room (First Floor to the right of the main entrance) to find out more about the Gothic history of musical instruments and opera and to celebrate a composer who made a significant contribution to inclusive music. \n\n\n\nThe exhibition \n\n\n\nThe exhibition is intended to publicise some of the materials hidden in the RNCM archives and museum of historial instruments\, particularly those relating to disabled composer and former RNCM student\, Lucy Hale (1994-2021). It explores the intersections between music\, the Gothic and disability. See other gothic treasures from the RNCM’s archive and museum\, including death masks and mourning jewellery\, on display to further inspire your imagination. \n\n\n\nThe exhibition has been co-curated by Heather Roberts\, archive and museum manager at RNCM\, Dr Emma Liggins and Dr Eleanor Beal\, Co-Directors of Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies\, and Rebecca Alaise (a postgraduate researcher in Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies working on a project on Gothic music in the long nineteenth century). \n\n\n\nLucy Hale was born with a life-limiting and terminal neuromuscular condition. With decreasing ability to play\, she turned her musical talents to composition. She is remembered as a campaigner\, composer\, and lover of the fictional and music aesthetics of fantasy\, the gothic and mystery. \n\n\n\nLive performance\, introductory talks and long-table discussions \n\n\n\nBrowse the exhibition and explore the Lucy Hale archive\, listen to live performance of Lucy’s work\, and join in the (optional) long table discussions hosted throughout the event to be a part of the growing understanding of this incredible resource. \n\n\n\n1300-1305: live performance 1/4 of Lucy’s work On A Winter’s Night On a Winter’s Night — LucyRHale.Composer \n\n\n\n1305-10: 5 min intro to Topic A “Music in Gothic Literature” led by Emma \n\n\n\n1310-1330: long table discussion on Topic A \n\n\n\n1330-1335: performance 2/4 of Lucy’s work On A Winter’s Night \n\n\n\n1335-1340: 5 min intro to Topic B “Gothic Literature in Music” led by Heather \n\n\n\n1340-1400: long table discussion on Topic B \n\n\n\n1400-1405: performance 3/4 of Lucy’s work On A Winter’s Night \n\n\n\n1405-1410: 5 min intro to Topic C “Lucy Hale – disability\, music and gothic” led by Heather \n\n\n\n1410-1430: long table discussion on Topic C \n\n\n\n1430-1435: performance 4/4 of Lucy’s work On A Winter’s Night \n\n\n\n1435-1440: 5 min intro to Topic D “The Music Museum – entombed histories” led by Heather \n\n\n\n1440-1500: long table discussion on Topic D \n\n\n\n1500-15.30 final time for browsing \n\n\n\nThe Gothic\, Music and Disability narratives in culture\, anthropology and the Arts have often been woven together to create conscious and unconscious narratives. The fascinating reframing of disability tropes in gothic forms is captured in the archives of its creators. From literature’s Victor Hugo’s Quasimodo to Charlotte Bronte’s Mrs Rochester\, from music’s Beethoven to the legends of crossroads in Blues\, it is lived experience\, the “othering” of disability and the evocative yet liminal aesthetic of music that combine to create some of the most absorbing\, Gothic and inspiring archives. \n\n\n\nWe are grateful to vocal students from RNCM for the live performances of Lucy’s work. \n\n\n\nWe are grateful to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House for loaning an early edition of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Mary Barton to accompany the manuscript of a rarely performed opera of Mary Barton\, a tale of industrial Manchester in the Victorian era.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/gothic-music-and-the-lucy-hale-archive-an-exhibition-and-live-performance/
LOCATION:RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music)\, 124 Oxford Road\, Manchester\, M13 9RD
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/12/image.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260122T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260122T213000
DTSTAMP:20260109T130023Z
CREATED:20260109T130022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T130023Z
UID:1545-1769108400-1769117400@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Gothic Fiction & The Female Writer: Women who shaped gothic horror
DESCRIPTION:How have horror and ghost stories challenged gender norms? Explore the feminist side of Gothic literature. With Q&A. \n\n\n\nHave you heard the uproar over the new Wuthering Heights adaptation?  \n\n\n\nDespite over 40 films\, television and radio adaptations\, Wuthering Heights is still often remembered as an “obsessive romance.” In reality\, it is a Gothic Romance – and more specifically\, a story that engages deeply with themes of domestic abuse. Similarly\, many beloved Female Gothic adaptations tend to highlight romance over the darker\, more unsettling aspects of these narratives. From Wuthering Heights to Jane Eyre to Rebecca\, the central figures are not simply swoon-worthy lovers – they often reflect the complex and sometimes abusive dynamics at the heart of these stories. \n\n\n\nJoin Dr Maisha Wester as she explores the intimate connections between the Gothic and First-wave Feminism. Tracing back to the French Revolution\, Dr Wester will examine how these moments shaped both Gothic literature and early reflections on women’s rights. We will also look at how early Female Gothic writers like Anne Radcliffe wove these societal changes into stories that framed women’s disenfranchisement as a source of true horror. Finally\, turning to the present\, we will consider the impact of modern adaptations that sometimes downplay the Gothic and how these romanticised portrayals continue to shape the imaginations of audiences today.  \n\n\n\nDoors open at 7pm\, talk starts at 7.30pm – come down early to grab a good seat! \n\n\n\nTickets: £13.50 – £32 \n\n\n\nSpeaker Bio \n\n\n\nDr. Maisha Wester is an Associate Professor and a recent British Academy Global Professor. Her interests focus on social oppression in Gothic Literature and Horror Film. Her books and numerous essays include “Torture Porn and Uneasy Feminisms: Re-thinking (Wo)men in Eli Roth’s Hostel Films” and African American Gothic in the Era of Black Lives Matter. Most recently\, she has created and released a narrative-driven\, social justice video game for PC titled Coded Black. Her teaching includes courses on Black Feminist literature\, racial representations in Gothic Literature and Horror film\, and Gender in contemporary Horror film. \n\n\n\nThis talk is 16+  \n\n\n\nTestimonials from our guests \n\n\n\n⭐ Super Interesting talks! Fun and Informative – Ally S. \n\n\n\n⭐ Expertly run\, talks are always super informative and a lot of fun! Couldn’t recommend these enough! 5 star. – Owen S \n\n\n\n⭐ Been to a few talks and all have been super interesting. An enjoyable evening to go to either alone or with friends. The talks make for stimulating conversation. Highly recommend! – Daisy J  
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/gothic-fiction-the-female-writer-women-who-shaped-gothic-horror/
LOCATION:Dorothy Fleming Lecture Theatre\, Charles Street Building\, Sheffield\, S1 2LQ
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/06/Maisha-Wester.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251211T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251211T193000
DTSTAMP:20251127T122326Z
CREATED:20251127T122325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251127T122326Z
UID:1505-1765476000-1765481400@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Gothic Presents 1980s Popular Gothic 2
DESCRIPTION:Gothica is an informal\, online monthly reading group exploring all areas of the Gothic in literature and popular culture. Gothica was founded in 2019 at the University of Birmingham by doctoral researchers Katrina Jan and Dr Emily Vincent\, then joined by Ross Conway\, and you can find out more about us here. Each session is two hours long\, hosted by a special guest speaker with academic expertise in the Gothic\, followed by relaxed breakout room discussions related to the monthly theme. \n\n\n\n1980s Popular Gothic Guest Speaker: Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies\, MMU) \n\n\n\nSorcha Ní Fhlainn is a Reader in film studies with a specialism in American film at Manchester Metropolitan University and leads the Popular Screen Cultures Network. Her work is largely rooted in socio-cultural and historical approaches to film studies\, cultural studies\, popular and contemporary American literature and popular cinema. She also specialises in Gothic studies and horror cinema\, with a focus on vampires (fiction\, culture\, and film)\, postmodern subjectivity\, serial killing\, and monster studies. She is Reviews Editor for the International Gothic Association. \n\n\n\nThis event is free. Please email UOBGOTHICA@GMAIL.COM or Tweet @Gothica_UoB to sign up and receive the Zoom link.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/gothic-presents-1980s-popular-gothic-2/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/11/1980s-popular-Gothic-2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251204T170000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251204T183000
DTSTAMP:20250919T172922Z
CREATED:20250919T172921Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T172922Z
UID:1357-1764867600-1764873000@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Bone Music talk @ Manchester Met and online
DESCRIPTION:Join us for this hybrid research event on Gothic music and underground subculture. This is a free public talk\, open to all\, which will be hosted by the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. \n\n\n\nFor those joining in person\, refreshments will be available from 5 pm and the talk will begin at 5.15\, with Q and A at 6 pm. \n\n\n\nFor those joining online\, you will be emailed the Teams link 3 days ahead of the event and earlier on the day of the event. Please join at 5 pm to check your connection\, and the talk will begin at 5.15. \n\n\n\nBONE MUSIC \n\n\n\nThey are images of pain and damage impressed with ghostly sounds of pleasure\, fragile photographs of the inside of citizens engraved with the music they secretly loved\, skin-thin slivers of DIY punk protest illegally traded in dark alleyways and hidden corners. \n\n\n\nStephen Coates tells the story of Bone Music. During the Cold War era\, the songs that Soviet citizens could listen to were ruthlessly controlled by the state. But a secret underground subculture of music lovers and bootleggers defied the censors\, building recording machines and making their own records of forbidden jazz\, rock ‘n’ roll\, and Russian music\, cut onto used hospital x-ray film. \n\n\n\nWho were they? Why did they do it and how was it even possible? Based on years of interviews and oral testimonies\, Stephen presents the stories of the original Bone bootleggers\, their customers and persecutors\, evoking their spirit of resistance to a repressive culture of prohibition and punishment. \n\n\n\nSTEPHEN COATES is a music producer\, curator and broadcaster. He came across the subject of the X-Ray recordings in 2013 when travelling to Russia to perform. \n\n\n\nHe has written two books on the subject: ‘ X-Ray Audio’ and ‘Bone Music’. A graduate of the Royal College of Art\, he is particularly interested in the interaction between counterculture and culture. He is also the organiser of the arts festival\, the London Month of the Dead.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/bone-music-talk-manchester-met-and-online/
LOCATION:Geoffrey Manton Lecture Theatre 5 ground floor\, Oxford Road\, Manchester\, M15 6LL\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/09/Stephen-Coates-2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251130T110000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251130T170000
DTSTAMP:20250924T124843Z
CREATED:20250924T124842Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T124843Z
UID:1373-1764500400-1764522000@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:The Gothic\, Women & Horror Summit: Exploring history\, power & mystery
DESCRIPTION:A one-day series of online talks and workshops from world-leading experts. \n\n\n\nFeaturing Manchester Gothic Centre’s Maisha Wester. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr Maisha Wester has been previously awarded a Fullbright Scholarship and has been British Academy-sponsored Global Professor in the School of English at Sheffield University. Her research investigates racial representation in Gothic Literature and Horror Film\, and socio-political appropriations of Gothic and Horror tropes in racial discourses. \n\n\n\nTickets cost £24
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/the-gothic-women-horror-summit-exploring-history-power-mystery/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/09/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_1128037593_2360733451323_1_original.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251119T160000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251119T170000
DTSTAMP:20251103T110731Z
CREATED:20251103T110729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T110731Z
UID:1466-1763568000-1763571600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Gothic Approaches PGR Autumn Research Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Wednesday November 19th in Grosvenor East. Room 3.12 for this seminar by Gothic Centre PhD candidates as part of the MMU Gothic Approaches ‘Work in Progress’ series. Speaker titles and abstracts are below and refreshments are provided. \n\n\n\nMCGS-PGR-Research-Night-Poster-Graphic Nov 2025(1)Download
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/gothic-approaches-pgr-autumn-research-seminar/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2024/11/MMU-Gothic-Approaches-scaled.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251118T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251118T210000
DTSTAMP:20251112T182506Z
CREATED:20251112T182505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T182506Z
UID:1483-1763492400-1763499600@manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Many Souls as Stars - An evening with Natasha Siegel
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Refuge Coffee House for an evening with Natasha Siegel as Emma Hinds interviews her about her new sapphic Gothic romance novel\, As Many Souls As Stars. We’ll be diving into the world of her spellbinding novel\, exploring the themes\, characters\, and inspirations that have captured readers’ hearts\, before opening into a live Q&A and a chance to have your book personally signed by Natasha herself. \n\n\n\nAS MANY SOULS AS STARS is the Sapphic retelling of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus we’ve all been waiting for: beautifully gothic\, richly lyrical\, and aching with queer longing. \n\n\n\nSet in 16th-century Suffolk\, the novel follows a young woman who makes a deal with the devil\, a shadowy\, seductive figure she accidentally summons through a spell rooted in her father’s arrogance. What follows is a centuries-spanning pursuit of obsession and reincarnation: a star-crossed love story and a cat-and-mouse chase through history\, as these two women meet again and again\, forever changed by one another. \n\n\n\nIt’s a story threaded with legacy\, curses\, desire\, and power\, an exploration of what we owe the people we love\, and what we inherit from those who came before us.
URL:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/event/many-souls-as-stars-an-evening-with-natasha-siegel/
LOCATION:Refuge Coffee House\, 27 Great Ancoats Street\, Manchester\, M4 5AJ
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/476/2025/11/image001-1.jpg
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