The cultural salon of Rione Fornaci returns for its fourth edition with a special guest of honour: the author and art historian Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated writer Charles Dickens.
In Elly Griffiths’ new novella, The Case of the Christmas Card, Charles Dickens finds himself in 2024 – and even visits the museum in his former home, at 48 Doughty Street! Join Elly as she discusses Charles Dickens, time travel, crime fiction and her latest series, ’The Frozen People’ – as well as the importance of writing about Christmas – with Lucinda Hawksley. …
Celebrate Christmas with the Dickens family. Learn about Victorian Christmas traditions and participate in family-style feasting. Every ticket sold supports the charity, enabling the museum and collection to be enjoyed by future generations. …
Bah! Humbug! Get into the festive spirit with award-winning novelist Elly Griffiths, as she discusses her novella, The Case of the Christmas Card.
Elly is author of the Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries, the Brighton mysteries and now, the time-travelling detective series, featuring Ali Dawson. Ali is getting ready for Christmas, but she’s not in a very festive mood because her friend daughter has gone missing. So, when she sees a top hat outside her front door, she decides to give the carol singers short shrift. But it isn’t carol singers. It’s Charles Dickens. …
Charles Dickens returns to the big screen in spectacular style with a major new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, starring Johnny Depp as the immortal Ebenezer Scrooge. More than 180 years after Dickens first introduced the world’s most famous miser, his stories continue to captivate filmmakers and audiences alike. [..] Lucinda Hawksley joins film writer, screenwriting lecturer and cinema historian James Clarke to explore the extraordinary journey of Dickens from page to screen. …
A dead judge. A silent defendant. A courtroom full of secrets. Guilty or not guilty?
Join two thrilling new voices in crime fiction for an evening exploring the darker side of justice, deception and the stories behind the headlines.
Putting these two formidable writers in the witness box is acclaimed author, broadcaster and historian Lucinda Hawksley, whose own work spans biography, history and literary storytelling. Expect a gripping conversation about crime, courage, research and the art of keeping readers guessing until the very last page. …
An online event presented by Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Ever wondered why we send cards, pull crackers or decorate trees? It turns out we have the Victorians (and a certain Mr. Dickens) to thank for so much we love about the festive season. …
In the mid-nineteenth century, fears that France was about to invade England, caused a large number of army corps to be set up. Almost every trade – bakers, railway-workers, butchers, bankers – had its own regiment. Artists were no exception. The registration book of the Artists’ Rifles Corp reads like an artistic edition of “Who’s Who” …
The Patricia Fay Memorial Lecture
When researching my biographies of Lizzie Siddal and Kate Perugini, I kept coming across a mysterious princess, attending studio parties, helping fellow artists in times of need, and being linked with several scandals. I was amazed to discover Princess Louise was a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and a well-respected sculptor. …
When researching my biographies of Lizzie Siddal and Kate Perugini, I kept coming across a mysterious princess, attending studio parties, helping fellow artists in times of need, and being linked with several scandals. I was amazed to discover Princess Louise was a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and a well-respected sculptor. …
Past Events
More details to follow …
Charles Dickens was one of the very first people to whom the word ‘celebrity’ was applied. He lived in an extraordinary century, full of innovators and pioneers, and he was friends with many of the most interesting people of his day. The Focus Day will include talks that accompany Lucinda’s book Charles Dickens and his Circlewhich was written for the National Portrait Gallery in London. Discover the fascinating circle of Dickens’s friends and acquaintances including artists, actors, musicians, radical thinkers, philanthropists and politicians as well as many of his fellow writers.
It starts with the title. The joy of a Full English is the wildly different things piled together on one plate to make something delicious. That’s Britain’s secret too, not shutting things out, but welcoming more in. Who better than Miriam Margolyes OBE to celebrate our not-terribly united Kingdom in one unforgettable show? There will be heroes and villains, belly laughs and sharp insights, outrageous surprises and of course, lashings of… sauce.
Join her in conversation for stories from the new book, naughty confessions, and a no-holds-barred Q&A where no question is off-limits.
The life-changing power of the arts is revealed by Daisy Fancourt in Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. Informed by the results of decades of scientific studies, her book demostrates how songs support the development of children’s minds, creative hobbies help our brains to stay resilient against dementia, and visual art and music help reduce depression, stress and pain.
Professor of Psychobiology and Epidemiology at University College London, and an award-winning communicator, Daisy explains why the arts are the forgotten fifth pillar of health, alongside diet, sleep, exercise and nature.
In her view, art helps us not only to survive, but to thrive and flourish.
In celebration of #OlderPeoplesDay (1 October), Lucinda will be discussing her biographies on long-lived historical people, including: Kate Perugini (née Dickens) a portrait painter who lived to the age of almost 90; Princess Louise, a sculptor who lived to 91; and older suffrage campaigners, such as Dora Montefiore.
Katey Perugini (nee Dickens), Princess Louise and Lizzie Siddal are the intriguing subjects of Lucinda’s lectures on this Day of Special Interest.
- Doors Open at 10:00
- 10:00 – 10:30 Booking in and morning coffee
- 10:30 – 11:30 First Lecture
- 12:00 – 13:00 Second Lecture
- 13:00 – 14:30 Break for Lunch
- 14:30 – Third Lecture starts.
- The DOSI ends at around 16:00.
When researching my biographies of Lizzie Siddal and Kate Perugini, I kept coming across a mysterious princess, attending studio parties, helping fellow artists in times of need, and being linked with several scandals. I was amazed to discover Princess Louise was a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and a well-respected sculptor. Her life and legacy has been locked away in the Royal Archives ever since her death in 1939, but her work was stunning, and her life fascinating. Researching her biography was like being a detective, so I titled my book The Mystery of Princess Louise.
Join the inspiring author and historian Lucinda Hawksley for an intimate salon, discussing all things Persuasion!
Over afternoon tea and cakes, Lucinda will share some of her favourite scenes, characters and moments from the novel, and lead a discussion on everything from long engagements to hedgerow rambles, romantic letters and seaside ramparts.
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Princess Louise was a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and a well-respected sculptor. Her life and legacy has been locked away in the Royal Archives ever since her death in 1939, but her work was stunning, and her life fascinating.