Lives from Letters
15,00 €
This practical workshop will introduce participants to the fascinating world of working with nineteenth-century letters. We will discuss the challenges of discovering, transcribing, editing, and annotating letters, as well as the overt and subtle messages suggested by a letter’s wording, margins, and method of delivery. The session will also consider the literary historian’s responsibility to the written past.
Perfect for anyone with an interest in history, historical biography, historical fiction, or literary exploration.
When & Where
Date: Friday 10 October 2025
Time: 11.00am – 1.00pm
Venue: Parish Centre, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal
Professor Thomas McLean
Thomas McLean is Professor in English at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. He is the editor of Further Letters of Joanna Baillie (2010) and author of The Other East and Nineteenth-Century British Literature: Imagining Poland and the Russian Empire (2012). With Ruth Knezevich, he has co-edited Jane Porter's 1803 novel Thaddeus of Warsaw for Edinburgh University Press (2019). The 2024 recipient of the Frances Browne Award, he is currently preparing an edition of Frances Browne’s Legends of Ulster.
Ticketing Info
Admission: €15 (includes sandwich lunch)
Limited spaces – early booking essential
About the Frances Browne Literary Festival
The Frances Browne Literary Festival celebrates the life and legacy of Frances Browne (1816–1879), the “Blind Poetess of Ulster.” Rooted in her hometown of Ballybofey-Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, the festival brings together poets, writers, musicians, and communities from Ireland and beyond to share in her spirit of creativity, inclusion, and multilingual expression.
📖 Explore the full programme and festival information at: www.francesbrowneliteraryfestival.com
Acknowledgements
Festival sponsors: Donegal County Council and the Finn Valley Voice.
