Feminisms Reading Group: Child Loss and the Impulse to Spiritualism

‘Communities of Grief: Child Loss and the Impulse to Spiritualism in Late Nineteenth-Century Women's Ghost Stories’
Emily Vincent

‘A powerful impression on my mind’: séance communion, ‘vegetal haunting’, and lost children in two nineteenth-century women’s ghost stories.

This reading group will explore two supernatural texts, both published in 1891, to see how women writers conveyed the loss of a child both with hope (through the lens of Spiritualism) and as a feminist statement against patriarchal oppression. After Emily provides a brief overview paper, we will explore and discuss in breakout rooms how Spiritualist and author, Florence Marryat, records her first séance with her ghost child in There is No Death, then examine how Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses an ecogothic lens in ‘The Giant Wistaria’ to expose injustices placed upon mother and child. 

This event runs on Zoom. Email sarah.edwards.19@ucl.ac.uk or ilona.mannan.10@ucl.ac.uk for the Zoom joining link.

The Feminisms Reading Group is a collaborative initiative led by two PhD students from UCL's English department, Ilona Mannan and Sarah Edwards.  You can email us at sarah.edwards.19@ucl.ac.uk or ilona.mannan.10@ucl.ac.uk. The group is open to anyone, staff or student, from UCL and beyond, and is brand new as of the 2022 Autumn term.

The sessions predominantly cover different aspects of feminism, work by women writers, feminist theory and criticism, and depictions of women in literature. One PhD researcher or academic delivers each reading group session which is then chaired by the convenors, Ilona and Sarah. The format of the reading group is not set and can be changed depending on the preferences of each researcher. Formats so far include: a guest giving a short paper and then providing attendees with some short extracts to discuss, and a guest providing attendees with extracts and running a commentary and analysis session based on those extracts. No matter the format the session takes they are absolutely an occasion for networking, discussion and connecting with researchers and students. 

Preparatory reading is not mandatory so please do come along regardless. However, speakers do often provide some preparatory reading materials for attendees and you will most likely find you get more out of the reading group sessions if you have been able to spend a little time with the materials prior to the session. You may wish to prepare questions to ask the speaker about the topic as Q&A sessions are immensely rewarding, especially when you can discuss issues of interest to you with an expert.