Victorian Short Story Reading Group: 'The Ghost upon the Rail’ by John Lang

The Victorian Short Story Reading Group has regular meetings to explore some of the exciting material from the golden age of the British short story, which began during the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Current Theme: Colonial Short Stories: Australia

Continuing our exploration of Victorian colonial short stories, we now move to Australia. Through a range of genres, such as Gothic, detective, realistic and humour, we will meet ex-convicts, detectives, murderers, lone women, government officials, bush settlers, fossickers and even a ghost. This should give us a more personal perspective of the lives lived within the colonial system than that recorded in the history books. .Our sessions will also give us the opportunity to discuss many of the current debates about imperialism through both the beliefs and understanding of the time and the different perspective and hindsight of the modern age.

‘The Ghost upon the Rail’ by John Lang (first published Household Words, 1853. Collected in: Botany Bay; or True Stories of the Early Days of Australia, 1859).

This story is culturally significant as an early example of Australian Gothic. Reputably based on a real incident, the story covers themes of guilt, justice and redemption and depicts early settler life through a tale of two convicts who, having been sent to Botany Bay for crimes committed in England, choose to remain in Australia after the completion of their sentences

Upon registration you will receive a link to an on-line copy of the text and, as it is a short story group, it will require no more than an evening’s preparation to read the required material.

Sessions take place monthly between October and June at a venue in Chiswick, London, W4 1TT, between 7 and 8.30 pm. At each session there is a brief introduction to the work, followed by a group discussion in a relaxed atmosphere, with wine and nibbles supplied.

FAQs

How do I get to the venue?

The nearest underground station is Turnham Green. The local bus is the E3. Transport for London can help you navigate into the area with their plan a journey webpage.

From the station take a right and walk along Turnham Green Terrace. Take the first right which is Bath Road, and cross at the zebra crossing. Walk passed the church. The first left is Priory Gardens. Cross this road and the Victorian Society building is situated on the corner.

Is there local car parking?

After 6pm, there is free local street parking available.

I would like to know what short stories have been read before. How do I find out this information?

Please contact Ruth Miller by email at [email protected].

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Please contact Ruth Miller by email at [email protected] before the day of the event.

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