Impressions Gallery

Join Dr David Higgins, Associate Professor in English Literature at University of Leeds, for this informal lunchtime talk, inspired by In Search of Frankenstein.
 
The 1815 volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) had a huge impact on the world. The following year was exceptionally cold and wet, and became known as 'The Year Without a Summer'. The climate provoked famine, political unrest and disease across the globe. 1816 also saw the birth of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Dr David Higgins discusses the influence of environment on Frankenstein and on Romantic literature more widely, and explores connections with today's concerns of global warming and climate change.
 
Dr David Higgins leads the major AHRC-funded research project British Romantic Writing and Environmental Catastrophe in association with The Wordsworth Trust and The Poetry Society. He has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and is the author of books including Romantic Englishness: Local, National, and Global Selves, 1780-1850 (2014), and Frankenstein: Character Studies (2008). He is Deputy Director of the Leeds Humanities Research Institute at University of Leeds.

Listen again

If you missed the talk with Dr David Higgins on Thursday 15 November, listen again via Soundcloud



Feed Your Mind is a series of talks supported by The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Free event, donations welcome
Booking recommended

Part of our Feed Your Mind series of talks supported by The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art