
Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies
Studying the history and cultural significance of the Gothic aesthetic, from its eighteenth-century British origins through to its contemporary global manifestations
MCGS works nationally and internationally to promote Gothic interests to as wide as a field as possible. Our events are based in our scholarship and bring the research of our core and affiliated staff and postgraduates into the wider community.
As internationally recognised experts we work in a multi-disciplinary capacity to represent the broad field of Gothic and horror studies, from literature, creative writing, culture and heritage, cinema, drama, television, and media.
To date, the centre has run several Gothic Manchester Festivals and multiple Gothic networking days, as well as numerous public research lectures and seminars, often in collaboration with our extensive network of partners and stakeholders across Greater Manchester. Our current portfolio includes academic conferences, festivals, critical and creative writing workshops, school study days, and the International Gothic Summer School. Such events help us to showcase our research and to reveal its relevance to heritage, creative industry, and contemporary cultural life beyond the University.

Upcoming Events
Gothic Crossroads Conference coming to Man Met 25th-27th June 2025! Visit the conference page
News and Blog (don’t forget to scroll along!)

Blog: ‘Why Can’t We See the Shrunken Head?’: Discussing the cultural ethics of displaying body remains with Nicholas Crowe and the Whitaker Museum
‘Why Can’t We See the Shrunken Head?’: Discussing the cultural ethics of displaying body remains…

Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now
Dale Townshend’s contributions to the the three-year AHRC project with Michael Gamer (University of Pennsylvania),…

New PGR Article by Sarah Dutson; ‘Taking Up Space: Tracing the Representation of Female Medium Emma Hardinge Britten’
Congratulations to Sarah Dutson on her recent peer reviewed publication for Hive, Man Met’s Faculty…