George Eliot was just one of the many novelists one reads for a degree, but it was coming to Nuneaton and Coventry as a teacher that drew me to look more deeply and with increasing interest into this extraordinary writer who grew up and lived locally for the first half of her life. My interest in local history and photography have supported the literary interest.
I was a member of the Fellowship for many years before joining the Council and in 2006 I took over from Bill Adams as chair. For some years the succession of 150th anniversaries of the novels gave us useful reference point, all leading to the 2019 bicentenary celebrations. There is still great joy in returning to the texts and being amazed again at her wisdom and compassion.
I joined the Fellowship on moving to Warwickshire. Readings of George Eliot’s work by Gabriel Woolf and Rosalind Shanks, bringing to life the scenes and characters remembered from childhood have been a not-to-be-missed experience as have Vivienne Wood’s adaptations of Eliot’s novels performed by local theatre company Sudden Impulse. I love dipping into the Fellowship archive of Eliot –related items, an exciting experience which will be available to all enthusiasts once the Visitor Centre is open.
I especially enjoy gardening at George Eliot’s grave in Highgate Cemetery. It is exciting to meet global visitors who come to pay homage, hear their stories and share information about the Fellowship.
In February 2020, the 90th anniversary of the formation of the George Eliot Fellowship, I addressed the Antipodean George Eliot conference at the University of Sydney on the role of this very special Literary Society.
Born (in George Eliot Hospital!) and bred in Nuneaton, it was her translations and essays that first converted me into a George Eliot superfan. Complete immersion in her novels followed, where I found so much that is typically Midlands in her observations while also universal and timeless. Having spent twenty years away at university and in work, I returned to Nuneaton recently and was very excited to be able to get more involved in the fellowship by joining the Council.
Nuneaton born and bred, I won a copy of Adam Bede as a prize for a junior school George Eliot project, and later wrote a dissertation for my English degree on the male protagonists in George Eliot’s major novels. My career in arts marketing took me all round the country until I returned to live in the Nuneaton area in the 1990s.
I went along to some Fellowship events, got chatting to John Burton, became enthused once more and was recruited to the Fellowship Council.
I have been a member of the GEF for many years and served on the Council for a time during the leadership of Kathleen and Bill Adams. After retiring from a career teaching English and Drama I was able to become more actively involved in the Fellowship and in 2016 I joined the Council once more.
My interest in drama, music and art has enabled me to contribute to the organisation of Fellowship events. In 2019 I commissioned acclaimed actor/historian Lesley Smith to write a one-woman show portraying the life of Mary Ann Evans. Lesley’s superb performance gave the audience an insight into the extraordinary woman behind the novels and was one of the highlights of the bicentenary. I am currently writing a workbook for children on Silas Marner to accompany Viv Wood’s wonderful adaptation of the novel.
I enjoy my work on the Council and it is a privilege to be constantly learning more about the life and work of this remarkable writer.
Born into a working class family in the heart of George Eliot country, it seemed unlikely that my passion for ponies and dogs would be realised.
A lifetime in farming has allowed me to develop my interests and gain a deep understanding of the communities George Eliot writes about; the people, the animals and the landscape. Because of this I am affectionately referred to as “our agricultural correspondent “ among the George Eliot Fellowship.
As my family are all from Nuneaton and its environs, I am fortunate to have several connections with George Eliot.
