Nineteenth century novels by and about women are some of our favourite stories. The popularity of Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, George Elliot and more has endured for centuries. But what, exactly, do these stories tell us about society and womanhood as it was then, and as it is now? Join three leading journalists, artists and writers to discuss the pleasure and pain of reading and rereading the nineteenth century woman.

Bidisha is journalist, writer and filmmaker who has worked with The Guardian, BBC, Channel 4 and Sky News.

Emma Liggins is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research has focussed upon Victorian sensation fiction, the New Woman and women’s ghost stories, among other subjects.

Monique Roffey is a celebrated writer whose work has been awarded the OCM Bocas award for Caribbean literature (2013) and the 2020 Costa Book of the Year. She is Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.