Elizabeth Gaskell’s final novel Wives and Daughters explores the Victorian interest in science and logic through the character of Roger Hamley and the gentleman scientist Lord Hollingford. Roger was heavily based on the famous evolutionary scientist, and author of The Origin of the Species, Charles Darwin. Wives and Daughters was Darwin’s favourite novel and he had it re-read to him on his deathbed. Discover how Elizabeth’s knowledge of the public debates around science influenced her story-telling in her last literary masterpiece. With speaker Gordon Chancellor.

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” Charles Darwin

Part of Wives and Daughters Season