The Forgotten 'Queen of Bath': Remembering Author/Mayoress Madame Sarah Grand
Wednesday 30 May
Lecture Theatre 5W 2.3
In the 1890s, Frances Bellenden Clarke McFall, otherwise known as Madame Sarah Grand, was one of the most notorious figures in the Victorian literary world. Her fame waned, however, and by the 1920s the once-radical writer had rather quietly assumed the role of Honorary Mayoress of Bath alongside the widower Mayor Cedric Chivers. Serving six successful years in office, Grand was a prominent figure in Bath, appearing at a near-constant stream of city functions and receiving countless mentions in local newspapers. Despite her later obscurity, Grand's earlier notoriety - and indeed her life in general - is a fascinating subject, providing rich narratives that give an insight into the history of Grand herself, Bath and Britain.
For more lectures, see the full Summer 2012 GULP programme.
Ms Maura Dunst
Maura Dunst is studying for a PhD in English at the University of Hull. Her thesis, "Such Genius as Hers: Music and Gender in New Woman Fiction" examines the role of music as part of the answer to "The Woman Question" in the works of Sarah Grand, Mona Caird, George Egerton, and their fellow New Woman writers. Originally hailing from America's Midwest, Maura completed a BA in Journalism at the University of Missouri before undertaking an MA in English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she wrote her dissertation on the chime in Sarah Grand's The Heavenly Twins, the project that inspired her current PhD research. Her research interests include Victorian literature and culture (with particular focus on the 1890s), New Woman fiction, music in literature, women's writing and gender studies.