“It’s Alive!” – The First Two Hundred Years of Frankenstein, a talk by Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, is coming to King Edward’s School in Bath on Thursday 18 October for the annual Wroughton Lecture.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein began life as a short story, told at Villa Diodati on the shores of Lake Geneva, in June 1816. In Bath later that year, the story was developed into a full-length novel and it was published on New Year’s Day 1818. Mary Shelley was 18 when she conceived the idea, 19 when she wrote the novel and 20 when it was published.
This illustrated lecture will revisit the birth of Frankenstein, in the light of recent research, and explore how a limited edition three volume novel turned into a global brand. Join the eminent cultural historian and award-winning broadcaster, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, to celebrate Frankenstein’s 200th birthday in style and discover how the novel, originally thought to be too radical in its implication, continues to hold relevance for modern society and why, besides Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, Frankenstein is the most-filmed fictional character.
Professor Frayling has had a distinguished career as an academic and in the arts. Best known for his study of popular culture, he has had a wide output as a writer, broadcaster and critic. Awarded a knighthood for ‘Services to Art and Design Education’ in 2001, he has also been Chair of the Arts Council and the Design Council, a governor of the British Film Institute and trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
He has written over 20 books, including a highly popular biography of the director, Sergio Leone. A recognised authority on Gothic fiction and film, his latest book is ‘Frankenstein – The First Two Hundred Years’, which has just won ‘Film Book of the Year, awarded by the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Tickets for the lecture are £8.50 for adults and £4.50 for children, and available on 01225 464313 and from email hidden; JavaScript is required. All proceeds will support the Bursary Fund at King Edward’s School.
The lecture starts at 7pm with a drinks reception at 6.30pm in the Willett Dining Hall
All welcome. No need to have a prior relationship with the school.
