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Victorian Legacies

by Emma Catan

Look around. What do you see? How do the Victorians continue to influence our lives, our society, our entertainment? Join Emma Catan as we explore the legacy of the Victorians. Where fiction becomes fact.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jun 13, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Episode 41: Carmilla Vibes - Halloween 2023 Roundtable

    In this episode I'm joined by my Dracula Vibes panel, Drs Madeline Potter, Theadora Jean and Daniel Kasper! We discuss how Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's novella Carmilla influenced Dracula, and the legacy Le Fanu's work has today. We consider the queer elements of the work, as well as the way...

  2. Episode 40: Natasha Booth-Johnson - Nineteenth-Century Queer Fiction and Politics

    In this episode I'm joined by Natasha Booth-Johnson, who is researching into the intersections between queerness and politics in the works of nineteenth-century writers Edith Simcox, Mona Caird, and Isabella Ormston-Ford. We discuss how these writers were active in political movements and the…

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  3. Episode 39: Valentina Gaio - Victorian (and Current) Attitudes to Slum/Working Class Diets

    In this episode I'm joined by Valentina Gaio. Like myself, Valentina's research interests are broad, from popular culture to crime and horror, and we initially discuss the contemporary 18th century media depiction of the French Revolution. Our main topic today, however, centres on Victorian views...

  4. Episode 38: Dr Danielle Dove - Victorian/Neo-Victorianism and Material and Dress Culture

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Danielle Dove, whose research focuses on dress and fashion history, material culture, and literary celebrity. We consider how dress can be linked to the uncanny, utilising new materialism and object-oriented ontology theories to explore the idea that objects (such...

  5. Episode 37: Céleste Callen: Dickens, Bergson, and Temporality

    In this episode I'm joined by Céleste Callen, who researches into time and temporal experience in 19th century literature. Specifically, we discuss her PhD which utilises the works of Henri Bergson as a lens through which to read the works of Charles Dickens. We discuss how for Bergson, time is a...

  6. Episode 36 - Dracula Vibes Roundtable

    In this episode I'm joined by a special panel: Dr Madeline Potter, Theadora Jean, and Dr Daniel Kasper, who all research into Gothic literature (specifically, Dracula!) We discuss how their interest in Dracula began, and the different academic (and side) projects they have worked on. We focus on...

  7. Episode 35- Dr Tom Ue - George Gissing

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Tom Ue, who has researched into authors such as George Gissing, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edward Prime-Stevenson. We begin by discussing how Tom developed his PhD from his previous studies into George Gissing, and how Gissing's diaries show how…

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  8. Episode 34- Dr Louise Creechan - Nineteenth Century Legacies of Education and the Academy

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Louise Creechan, who has researched into Victorian and Neo-Victorian Studies. We begin by discussing her PhD in illiteracy and how the nineteenth century saw the rise of mass literacy in England, and the creation of 'normative' standards of achievement. This...

  9. Episode 33- Dr Richard Jorge Fernandez - Irish Gothic, Galician Literature, and the Problem of Language

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Richard Jorge Fernández, who researches into the nineteenth-century Irish Gothic, especially the short story. We talk about how his interest in Irish literature began, and also about his current project which compares Galician literature and Irish literature, due…

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  10. Episode 32- Manon Burz-Labrande - The Circulation of Penny Bloods and Penny Dreadfuls

    In this episode I'm joined by Manon Burz-Labrande, who researches into the circulation of penny bloods and penny dreadfuls. We talk about how her research looks at how there are issues around canonicity, due to many publications being hidden still, meaning we return to the 'classics' . We observe...

  11. Episode 31- Azza Hussen - Charles Dickens and 19th century dream theory

    In this episode I'm joined by Azza Hussen, who researches into the works of Charles Dickens. We talk about how her resarch looks at how Dickens' work engaged with or challenged contemporary 19th century dream theories, in novels like Oliver Twist, Dombey and Son. We observe how some 19th century...

  12. Episode 30 - Alora Hayward - Victorian Representations of Gender, Class and Sexuality

    In this episode I'm joined by Alora Hayward, who researches into Victorian literary works such as Christina Rossetti, George Gissing, Amy Levy and Charlotte Bronte. We talk about academic study in the pandemic and how this has helped us to reevaluate things, and also how nineteenth century...

  13. Episode 29 - Caterina Liberace - The Victorian Haunted House

    In this episode I'm joined by Caterina Liberace, who researches into the use of Victorian architecture and décor in twentieth and twenty-first century Gothic horror. We consider how the archetypal haunted house we now associate as a Gothic house, is an trans-Atlantic incarnation, and emerged…

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  14. Episode 28 - Dr Eleanor Dobson - Ancient Egypt, and Egyptology in the 19th and 20th centuries

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Eleanor Dobson, who researches into the reception of ancient Egypt during the 19th and 20th centuries. We discuss the centenary of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, and the stories around the famous 'curses'. We consider...

  15. Episode 27 - Dr Barbara Franchi - Postcolonial Neo-Victorianism, and expanding the 'canon'

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Barbara Franchi, who researches into neo-Victorian fiction, intertextuality and echoes of Empire. We consider issues such as the risks of nostalgia in society, and the enduring legacy of the 19th century in neo-Victorian works. We discuss the idea of a…

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  16. Episode 26- Dr Dominique Gracia - Exploring Adaptations of the 19th Century Detective

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Dominique Gracia, who had worked on repetitions and revisions, and adaptation theory. We discuss the influence of Sherlock Holmes on modern TV detectives in series such as Sherlock and Vienna Blood. We observe the ways in which we see works through adaptations…

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  17. Episode 25- Deborah Siddoway - The Story of Divorce in 19th century society (and literature)

    In this episode I'm joined by Deborah Siddoway, who researches into how the nineteenth century English novel was both informed by and influenced the path of divorce law reform in England. We discuss how all her authors had complex relationships with marriage, and how this is reflected in their...

  18. Episode 24 - Dr Anna Gasperini - Child Nutrition in C19 English and Italian Literature

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Anna Gasperini, where we discuss her work on children's literature and child nutrition. We discuss how food in children's literature sublimates and represents a lot of things, including 'taboo' subjects. Children's literature was previously seen as unsophisticated...

  19. Episode 23 - Michelle Ravenscroft - Identity Formation in Adolescents in C19 Literature

    In this episode I'm joined by Michelle Ravenscroft, who has recently co-edited the third volume of the popular Talking Bodies series. We chat about our shared experience at Talking Bodies and how Michelle's MA thesis on identity formation in adolescents in the long 19th century literature was...

  20. Episode 22 - Michelle Reynolds - The New Woman in fin de siècle illustration

    In this episode I'm joined by Michelle Reynolds, who researches into representations of the New Woman in fin de siècle illustration. We discuss how the New Woman was featured in art, specifically in illustration. We observe how fairy tales writers like Evelyn Sharp used these to push forward…

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  21. Episode 21 - Dr Clare Stainthorp - Freethought in the Nineteenth Century

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Clare Stainthorp, who researches into nineteenth-century atheist, secular and agnostic movements, and their periodical culture. We discuss how pamphlets and periodical culture helped not only to provide a space in which like-minded individuals could discuss...

  22. Episode 20 - Laura Demaude - Gaslighting in Victorian and Neo-Victorian Gothic Literature

    In this episode I'm joined by Laura Demaude, who is currently finishing her MA dissertation on gaslighting and the Gothic. We discuss how gaslighting is represented in Victorian and Neo-Victorian texts written by female authors (such as Bronte's Jane Eyre). We also note how physical gaslighting…

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  23. Episode 19 - Duncan McNulty - Bartitsu in the 19th and 21st centuries

    In this episode I'm joined by Duncan McNulty, founder and provost of the Bartitsu and Antagonistics Forum (BAF) . We discuss how Bartitsu was founded by Barton Wright in the 19th century, how it is presented now within the BAF and other organisations. We consider how the 19th century is still...

  24. Episode 18 - Laure Nermel - Elizabeth Siddal and the Pre-Raphaelite Movement

    In this episode I'm joined by Laure Nermel, who is finishing her PhD on Elizabeth Siddal,. We discuss how the Pre-Raphaelites are portrayed in Neo-Victorian fiction (novels, but also TV shows and plays), especially the women who were connected to the movement. We discuss the value of Siddal's…

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  25. Episode 17 - Nat Reeve - Elizabeth Siddal, and Neo-Victorian Queer Novels

    In this episode I'm joined by Nat Reeve, who is not only keeping busy with a PhD on Elizabeth Siddal, but is a Neo-Victorian novelist! We talk about their debut novel Nettleblack, the first of two novels with Cipher Press. Both books follow the adventures of fictional queer Victorians in an...

  26. Episode 16 - Dr Nicole C Dittmer and Sophie Raine - Penny Dreadfuls and the Gothic

    Episode 16 - Dr Nicole C Dittmer and Sophie Raine - Penny Dreadfuls and the Gothic In this episode I'm joined by Nicole and Sophie, who have a forthcoming collection called Penny Dreadfuls and the Gothic; or, Investigations of Pernicious Tales of Terror. We chat about how their individual…

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  27. Episode 15 - Dr Éadaoin Agnew - Victorian Indian literature

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Éadaoin Agnew, where we discuss her research into Victorian writers of colour (particularly within India, featuring writers who published in English). We discuss the need for decolonising the curriculum in all areas of the academy, how literary studies is still...

  28. Episode 14 - Dr Oindrila Ghosh - Thomas Hardy

    Episode 14 - Dr Oindrila Ghosh - Thomas Hardy In this episode I'm joined by Dr Oindrila Ghosh where we discuss her extensive research on the works of Thomas Hardy. We discuss how her interest in literature began in her education in India, from high school into PhD and beyond. Particularly, we…

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  29. Episode 13 - Hollie Geary-Jones - Nineteenth-century sex work

    In this episode I'm joined by Hollie Geary-Jones, where we discuss her PhD project on sex work in 19th century France and England - the differences and similarities in how these people were treated and how they pursued sex work. In particular, we discuss how Hollie's work examines dress…

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  30. Episode 12 - Chris Woodyard - Victorian and Edwardian Death and Mourning

    In this episode I'm joined by Chris Woodyard, where we discuss how people in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries dealt with death. How death was depicted and discussed in the press (including crude jokes), the issues surrounding funeral costs and the idea of a respectable funeral. We…

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  31. Episode 11 - Dr Jen Baker - The Child and the Afterlife in Gothic Literature

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Jen Baker, where we discuss her interest in the spectral child and representations of the child in death. We talk about how the legacy of these representations in the nineteenth century linger to this day, through angelic suggestions in Facebook memorials, to the...

  32. Episode 10 - Samantha Silva - Dickens and Wollstonecraft in contemporary novels

    In this episode I'm joined by Samantha, where we discuss her novels, Mr Dickens and His Carol, and the recent Love and Fury! We talk about how her career in screenwriting aided her writing process, how she wrote her first novel, and how the new release celebrates Mary Wollstonecraft. While...

  33. Episode 9 - Emily Gallagher - Representations of Victorian Women's Dress

    Episode 9 - Emily Gallagher - Representations of Victorian Women's Dress In this episode I'm joined by Emily, where we discuss her research into the history and representation of Victorian women's dress post-1901. We chat about the ways in which dress and dress objects are preserved and how this...

  34. Episode 8 - Dr Dany van Dam - Postcolonial Neo-Victorianism

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Dany van Dam, where we discuss her research into Neo-Victorian works and postcolonial approaches. We talk about how her research interests developed, the Western-centric focus of the field, and how we can consider new ways to broaden the field. About my guest…

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  35. Episode 7 - Rachel M Friars: Queer (Neo)Victorianism

    In this episode I'm joined by Rachel M Friars, where we discuss her research into queer Neo-Victorian works. We talk about diaries and correspondence and how this provides an interesting insight into queer identities (such as Anne Lister), and how neo-Victorianism reflects contemporary anxieties,...

  36. Episode 6 - Suzie Lennox - Bodysnatching in the 19th century

    In this episode I'm joined by Suzie Lennox, where we discuss her extensive research into the practice of body snatching. She'll tell us about prevention methods, some intriguing tales and escapades of the 'resurrection men', and why she continues to be fascinated by this 'taboo' subject. TRIGGER...

  37. Episode 5 - Brontë Schiltz: Vernon Lee and The String of Pearls (Sweeney Todd)

    In this episode I'm joined by Brontë Schiltz, where we discuss her interest in the associations between illness and queer experience in Victorian fiction such as Vernon Lee's work, and the explorations of economics in the penny dreadful, The String of Pearls and its adaptations. About my guest:...

  38. Episode 4 - Dr Helen Davies: Neo-Victorianism, Freak Studies, and Disability Studies

    In this episode I'm joined by Dr Helen Davies, where we discuss her previous work on neo-Victorianism and freakery, her current project on Down's Syndrome and neo-Victorianism, and how neo-Victorianism has interested her (and her take on why we're still influenced by the 19th century). TRIGGER...

  39. Episode 3 - Paulus Linnaeus - Graphic Novels and Victorianism

    In this episode I'm joined by Paulus Linnaeus, a graphic novellist who has published The Demonhuntress series. We discuss how his incredible experiences led him to change career, and how he developed The Demonhuntress series. Our chat centres on his recent publications which centred around Jack…

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  40. Episode 2 - Stephanie Farnsworth - Gothic influences in Mass Effect

    In this episode I'm joined by Stephanie Farnsworth, who researches into mutants and body horror in video games. We'll discuss her research and the influences of the 19th century (particularly, the Gothic) in creative works such as video games. About my guest: Stephanie Farnsworth is a PhD…

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  41. Episode 1 - All about ME!

    In this episode I discuss my research interests; what led me into research and neo-Victorian studies. I talk about my PhD project, the texts I am working with, and what thoughts I have about the influence of the nineteenth century. Episode Credits: Episode Writer, Editor and Producer: Emma Catan...

  42. Series Episode Trailer (Episode 0)

    Look around. What do you see? How do the Victorians continue to influence our lives, our society, our entertainment? Join Emma Catan as we explore the legacy of the Victorians. Where fiction becomes fact. This episode is the series trailer! Join me as I briefly explain why I came up with this...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Look around. What do you see? How do the Victorians continue to influence our lives, our society, our entertainment? Join Emma Catan as we explore the legacy of the Victorians. Where fiction becomes fact.

HOSTED BY

Emma Catan

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Victorian Legacies have?

Victorian Legacies currently has 42 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Victorian Legacies about?

Look around. What do you see? How do the Victorians continue to influence our lives, our society, our entertainment? Join Emma Catan as we explore the legacy of the Victorians. Where fiction becomes fact.

How often does Victorian Legacies release new episodes?

Victorian Legacies has 42 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Victorian Legacies?

You can listen to Victorian Legacies on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Victorian Legacies?

Victorian Legacies is created and hosted by Emma Catan.
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