2023 Resources

We're thrilled to embark on this challenging yet rewarding ascent together, charting the world of Anne Lister. As we strap on our gear and look up at the peak of knowledge that awaits us, we'll go over our shared map—exploring why we've embarked on this journey, what panoramic views of insights to anticipate, and how you can scale the summit to your fullest potential.

Ready your climbing ropes of curiosity and prepare for a weekend of captivating adventures!

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Bridging the Listerian Gap

With Stephen Turton, Sarah Wingrove, Diane Halford, JY Jiang, and Livia Labate

Facilitated by Janneke van der Weijden

Unifying the Anne Lister research community, this session encourages dialogue between academics, independent researchers, codebreakers, and creators of Lister-related resources.

Identifying points of intersection and divergence, panelists will share motivations, unique approaches, and insights from their work. The discussion highlights the interconnected nature of Lister research and the myriad of ways in which our understanding of Anne Lister and her world continues to expand.

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Anne Lister’s Music

With Lisa Timbs

Anne Lister was always uncompromisingly herself, but her musical choices show her both conforming to and rejecting the convention of 19th century ‘female accomplishment’.

Lisa has been bringing to life music found in Anne’s collection with performances and research that sheds light on her taste, what role music played in her life and even how she used it for seduction!

This session previews work that will culminate with live performances and filming at Shibden Hall during ALBW 2024.

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Copyright: It’s complicated

With Ruth Cummins from West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale

From making copies of documents to publishing the amazing research you have done, copyright affects us all. This session explores the complex topic of copyright, what it means for publishing archival documents as part of your research, and how publication requests work at the WYAS. We will also discuss copyright issues surrounding large scale digitisation and publication projects and why not all collections are available online.

Join us for an interesting exploration of the world of copyright!

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The Lister-Barlows: An early Rainbow Family

With Jann Kraus

Jane Barlow was a young teenager, when she and her mother first met Lister in Paris in 1824, and 16/17 at the time of their extended travels.

As their relationship has not yet been much explored, Jann Kraus invites you along to explore what we can learn about Lister’s role as a quasi-stepparent in Jane’s life and how we can approach studying queer patchwork families (or Rainbow families, as they are increasingly called) in Queer Studies in general.

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Decoding Anne Lister

With Chris Roulston and Caroline Gonda

Join us for a conversation with Chris Roulston and Caroline Gonda about their groundbreaking edited collection of essays, which marks the first volume on Lister with a major academic press.

Discover what inspired Gonda and Roulston to create this volume, and explore its cross-over appeal for Lister scholars and enthusiasts alike.

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Decoding Anne Lister: From the Archives to 'Gentleman Jack

“You Could Make Anything of Me”: Anne Lister’s Queer Metaphor

With Cee Collins

In this session, Lister’s adoption of metaphor is “queer”-ied. Lister uses metaphor in her journals to turn those around her into characters, and thus interpret their queerness in a pleasurable, double-visioned and crucially literary way.

Using theories of metaphor and revelations from her use of Nathan Bailey’s dictionary, Lister’s queer adaption of the metaphor can be shown as extending from her approach to others (focusing on Miss Brown) to her crypthand itself.

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‘Unvarnished interesting tale’: Storytelling with historical resources

With Ruth Cummins, Sarah Rose, Gill Carpenter, and Angela Clare

Facilitated by Jess Lowther-Payne

Our shared history is a narrative of events recorded over time in journals, letters, accounts, and more, waiting to be re-discovered and brought to life. Using a variety of sources can help piece together these stories to be retold today. Are you wondering how an exhibition is curated or who decides what goes into a podcast? How are these sources used in an engaging way for modern audiences?

Find out from the West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale Libraries, and Calderdale Museums!

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Learned by Heart: Emma Donoghue on interweaving Eliza Raine’s history with fiction

With Emma Donoghue

Facilitated by Dr Alex Pryce

Join us for a captivating session featuring renowned author Emma Donoghue as she delves into her new novel, "Learned by Heart." This poignant narrative explores the enigmatic life of Eliza Raine, amplifying her untold story. Donoghue's masterful storytelling intertwines history and fiction, shedding new light on this overlooked figure from Anne Lister’s journals.

Moderated by Dr. Alex Pryce, the session promises an engaging discourse on history, literature, and their intersections.

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Cryptic Cycles: Anne Lister's 'Cousin' and 19th Century Menstrual Practices

With Anna Clark, Leila Straub, and Elissa Stein

Facilitated by Mette Hildeman Sjölin

Anne Lister meticulously documented her menstrual cycle, or ‘cousin’, capturing details like flow intensity, the use of sanitary materials, and any symptoms. As a rich data source, her journals allow us to explore an often overlooked but significant aspect of daily life in the 19th-century concerning women's health.

Through a mix of expert insights, diary extracts, and guided discussion, we’ll venture into this intimate territory, shedding light on period practices and management of the era.

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Searching For Ann 2023

With Diane Halford and Leila Straub

The ISAW team has been delving deep into archives, uncovering new pieces of Ann Walker's story. We’ll share some recent findings that paint a more detailed picture of Ann, rich in ties to Anne Lister and others within Ann's social circle.

Join us for a session full of revelations, connections, and surprises as we continue on our relentless quest 'In Search of Ann Walker'.

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Anne Lister in the Garden

With Dr Suzanne Moss and Lynn Shouls

Anne Lister was well-read in botany and horticulture, and visited many gardens in England and abroad. At Chatsworth, she met a man who later became one of the most famous garden designers (and architects) of the Victorian era.

This session will outline some noteworthy female botanists who came before Anne, and how and why botany was accessible to women, before discussing some of Anne's own learning and application of her knowledge at the Shibden estate.

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Waxing Lister-ical: A Journey into Wax Sealing

With Steph Gallaway

This 30-minute session delves into the art and significance of wax seals in Lister's life with a short presentation, followed by a hands-on demonstration of traditional and modern wax seal methods. Participants are invited to experiment with their own seals using materials like sealing wax, glue guns, and decorative embellishments.

Check our supplies list ahead of time to be workshop-ready for this interactive experience!

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4 miles from Xtiania

With Henriette Stensdal

On Monday 29 July 1839, Ann and Anne arrived in Christiania in Norway. Anne in familiar style takes control of the carriage herself as they drive the last distance into town. In Norway, Anne hires a private teacher and by reading her travel notes it is clear that she learned a lot about Norwegian society and history. In Drammen, she discovers that she has lost her mourning ring for her uncle. Will she find it again?

Henriette Stensdal will guide us through the 17 days they stayed in Norway.

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Suing Miss Walker: An analysis of Horncastle v Walker

With Marlene Oliveira

In the summer of 1843, Ann Walker was taken to court.

On the other side of the barricade was Charles Horncastle, a man who claimed that she kept making excuses and refused to pay for the land she had agreed to buy several months prior. But was the case really that simple? What was Ann Walker’s argument not to pay the sum agreed? And how did it all end?

Join us in an analysis of this case and learn more about the circumstances that led to it and the people involved.

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Lister's Web: Interweaving Personal Connections in Anne Lister's Social Circle

With Shantel Smith, Marlene Oliveira, Kat Williams, and Steph Gallaway

Facilitated by Jessica Lowther-Payne

Unravel the complex web of Anne Lister's intimate connections as we explore how the women she loved, courted, and befriended interacted within her social network. Did they know each other? How did they move within the same social circles? What were the dynamics of their relationships beyond their ties to Lister?

Join us as we chart these intersections, and gain unprecedented insights into 19th-century women's relationships and social networks.

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