Class. Status. Sex. Elizabeth Gaskell’s controversial novel Ruth shocked Victorian society for its portrayal of a ‘fallen woman’ who had sex before marriage. But what of the true story that inspired it?

Now you can uncover both fact and fiction including the story of Pasley, the young teenage girl Elizabeth met in Salford’s New Bailey Prison. Author Livi Michael looks at the real ‘Ruth’ and her background.

How did creating this groundbreaking novel impact Elizabeth Gaskell as a writer? What does it tell us about class in Victorian Britain? And what had really happened to Pasley, the girl behind the novel?

Livi Michael is an award winning writer of fiction for children, young adults and adults. Her new novel, Elizabeth and Ruth will be published in February 2026.

‘The presenter was excellent and it really gave an insight into the novels, characters and authors. Amazing how much one can learn in just over an hour!‘ Visitor to previous event