Novelties

The nineteenth century is frequently characterized as a period of extraordinary change, but Novelties asks what is still surprising about its literature and culture. The word ‘novelty’ has resonances in the modern and the unfamiliar, the innovative and the unusual; it expresses an ingenious solution, a remarkable device, a newsworthy occurrence, and everything that is frivolous, fashionable and disreputable.

Novelties will showcase research that explores a ‘novel’ aspect of nineteenth-century Britain from anywhere on this spectrum, whether it’s political activism and social revolution, or public scandal and social climbing; scientific invention and pioneering travel, or phantasmagoria and commercial tourism.

Novelties is a celebration of all things ‘new’ in the field of nineteenth-century literature and culture, from the freshly-decorated interior of the suburban villa to the darkest corners of the Victorian underworld.

The symposium will also reflect our changing research culture by encouraging original and unexpected connections between disciplines.

More information about the symposium, including conference programme