Sunday, March 8, 2015

M.R.James & the modern ghost story

1. Do you love the ghost stories of M.R.James?
2. Do you live within travelling distance of Leeds?
3. Are you free on March 28th 2015?

If the answer to all those questions is YES this may be an event for you! It's a one day conference on the theme of M.R.James and the modern ghost story, being organised by the University of Leeds and taking place in the Leeds Library.

I'm very excited about this because it's a unique opportunity to examine James's work, covering topics as diverse as Monsters, monuments & unhomely houses: architecture in the work of M.R.James (Ralph Harrington) and Adapting James’s work into graphic stories (John Reppion). I'll also be there as one of the three keynote speakers, talking about one of my very favourite MRJ tales, Canon Alberic's Scrap-book. I can promise pictures, too! - though hopefully no sepia drawings accompanied by demons.

You can get the full details of this very exciting spooky day here: https://mrjconference.wordpress.com

The programme for the day, which begins at 9am and finishes at 8.30pm after a showing of A Warning to the Curious and a panel discussion, can be found here: https://mrjconference.wordpress.com/programme/

You can register for the conference online here: https://mrjconference.wordpress.com/registration/ but only up to 13th March (after which time, presumably, you have to apply in runes or some such thing).
If you're coming and want to see the film in the evening, take care to select that option when you register.

If you're on Twitter, you can also follow organisers @jmainpidd @jimmussell and @GothicTexts for updates and general ghostly and Gothic shenanigans!

Personally, I can't wait!


Above: St. Bertrand de Comminges, scene of
Canon Alberic's Scrap-book.

Photo by William Bond 



4 comments:

  1. I wish I could make it, but it's the first I've heard of it, and I'm already booked. A pity! MEDDLING WITH GHOSTS was my attempt at situating MRJ in context.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish you could attend too! Hopefully I'll be reviewing the event for the M.R.James Ghosts and Scholars Newsletter - and I'll be plying the organisers with drink and begging them to hold another one in future!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Helen! Do pass my apologies to them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, I certainly will. Sorry you can't be there this time!

    ReplyDelete