NEW BLOG POST 🤩Our James Malcolm Rymer expert, Rebecca Nesvet, reviews Birmingham Rep's production of Sweeney Todd and how it reveals 'the timeliness of penny dreadfuls': victorianpopularfiction.org/the-failure-...

The Failure of Institutions: Sweeney Todd Restages the Timeliness of Penny Dreadfuls

Birmingham Rep’s production reviewed by Rebecca Nesvet Victorian melodrama was not a purely escapist genre, nor was it necessarily conservative. With its mix of epic action and often plebeian chara…

victorianpopularfiction.org

We are delighted to share with you two new wonderful publications by VPFA members! Gothic Masculinities in the Victorian Age, ed. by Ruth Heholt and Mariaconcetta Constantini and Valerie Fehlbaum's edited collection of Ella Hepworth Dixon's short stories, Sidelights on the Feminine Temperament.

...for the @vpfa.bsky.social conference at @ljmuofficial.bsky.social. I was on with JC Briggs, who writes the Charles Dickens Investigates series, and we had a great time (and some lovely feedback). #booksky #amwriting #historicalmystery #victorianmystery #authorupdate 3/?

Truly honored and deeply grateful to have been awarded the Greta Depledge Prize for best postgraduate paper, given by @vpfa.bsky.social at its 18th annual conference for my paper on Arthur Machen’s manipulative storytelling. This award means more to me than I can put into words. Thank you ❤️

An emotional week... The fabulous @vpfa.bsky.social Conference #VPFAPublics full of fascinating papers, wine, and time with old and new friends! Then my last Sat teaching with Saturn Dance full of kind words, hugs, and tears (mostly mine!). A sensible if sad decision to scale back. Thank you all 🥹

Our 18th Annual Conference is now over, and some of you may be staving off the post-VPFA conference depression. Not to worry, because we have JUST the cure: Volume 8, issue 1 of Victorian Popular Fictions Journal 🤩💫 Read it online here: victorianpopularfiction.org/publications...

Victorian Popular Fictions volume 8 issue 1 (Spring 2026)

Table of Contents ArticlesJulia Kuehn and Diane Eveline van den Brink. The Good, the Bad, and the Popular: The Question of a Popular Canon and Other Methodological ContemplationsLinda K. Hughes. Cr…

victorianpopularfiction.org

This is SO GOOD! Julia Kuehn and Diane Eveline Van den Brink open the latest issue of @vpfa.bsky.social journal with a polemical article that includes a case study featuring Wilkie Collins and Marie Corelli.

Victorian Popular Fictions 8.1 1 Kuehn and van den Brink

The Good, the Bad, and the Popular: The Question of a Popular Canon and Other Methodological ContemplationsJulia Kuehn and Diane Eveline van den BrinkDownload PDF hereAbstractThis article challenge…

victorianpopularfiction.org

Thank you so much #VPFAPublics. What a fantastic conference and so much to look forward to thanks to @vpfa.bsky.social wonderful community!!!

A *fantastic* time at #VPFAPublics the last few days. Fascinating papers, fruitful discussions (Some fun things on the horizon)... Caught up with old pals, made some new ones - every year I'm blown away by the incredible warmth of @vpfa.bsky.social. All the thanks to Jo and Janine for organising!

After many ideas and productive conversations, the second day of #VPFAPublics ended with a joyful conference dinner. We are starting with a much awaited keynote first thing tomorrow morning: Tara MacDonald’s ‘Public Institutions, Private Care: Sex Work and Care Work in Victorian Popular Fiction’.

The Bodies panel was certainly one of my favourites too. Fascinating research presented at #VPFAPublics day 2.

Dr Joanna Turner@coppertapestry.bsky.social · 4w ago

Bodies - WHAT A PANEL at #vpfapublics It was absolutely brilliant! I loved hearing from Megan Nash, Anna-Maria Grill, and @ebutler-way.bsky.social about their fascinating research! @vpfa.bsky.social

Starstruck 🤩 Got to meet one of my academic heroes today and hear her amazing keynote on sex work and care work in Victorian Pop Fiction. How can we be more caring and sympathetic in our community social care systems? #VPFAPublics @tara-macdonald.bsky.social

@andrewkingc19.bsky.social talking about how Victorians marketed Pop Fiction - and I’m very excited to learn more about Victorian marketing, particularly design and product placement! Makes me think of my trawling through Punch for crumbs of context! #VPFAPublics

Can you imagine trying to de-anonymise 22 Victorian sensation novels? Because Janine Hatter can! What an amazing project 😱 #VPFAPublics

“Murder by beast rampage” just makes me think of “30-50 wild hogs” 🤣🤣 #VPFAPublics

Welcome to our new VPFA co-President, Claudia Capancioni! #VPFAPublics

@helenmckenzie.bsky.social ‘s new research on Braddon’s letters to the RLF and philanthropy more generally is very exciting and points to some really fruitful new areas of discovery.

Victorian Popular Fiction Association@vpfa.bsky.social · 4w ago

Helen McKenzie talking about M.E. Braddon's letters of recommendations to the Royal Literary Fund. Her letters frequently emphasise the innocence of the writer, and use very physical language #VPFAPublics

Had a great day yesterday at ‘The Victorians and their Publics’ conference at @ljmuofficial.bsky.social, courtesy of @vpfa.bsky.social. I learnt lots and have more books and stories to add to the reading pile! #booksky #authorevent #academicconference 1/2

Helena Ifill discussing Charlotte Riddell's direct addresses to the reader, arguing that they were used as part of her campaign to become "the" novelist of London. city. Though she was interested in the lives of city women, her USP was the lives and hearts of city businessmen #VPFAPublics

Jo’s fantastic Corelli book will be out in August!

Dr Joanna Turner@coppertapestry.bsky.social · last mo.

Prepare to be Corellied @vpfa.bsky.social conference-goers! In the pack there’s a special offer for delegates to pre-order this beauty (is she winking? I like to think so!), and I’ll be speaking in panel two on Monday. The book can be ordered from EER next month www.eerpublishing.com/turner-marie...

Absolutely loved being part of this panel! Always fun talking about Victorian and neo-Victorian corsets, bodies, and so on...!

Dr Joanna Turner@coppertapestry.bsky.social · 4w ago

Bodies - WHAT A PANEL at #vpfapublics It was absolutely brilliant! I loved hearing from Megan Nash, Anna-Maria Grill, and @ebutler-way.bsky.social about their fascinating research! @vpfa.bsky.social

Relieved to be finally at the @vpfa.bsky.social conference & have Victorianist info & ideas piped into my brain. 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the Victorian Popular Fiction Association.' #VPFAPublics

#VPFAPublics Nishtha Trehan: Robert can invade Lady Audley's space, go through her things, and read her letters because she is a woman. :(

Bodies - WHAT A PANEL at #vpfapublics It was absolutely brilliant! I loved hearing from Megan Nash, Anna-Maria Grill, and @ebutler-way.bsky.social about their fascinating research! @vpfa.bsky.social

Presented my #VPFAPublics paper this morning in the Moot Room, which is gorgeous. I felt a bit like I was preaching a sermon!

Currently on my way to Liverpool for #VPFAPublics like Lady Audley on her way to burn down an Inn. Can't wait.

Emma Butler-Way@ebutler-way.bsky.social · last mo.

Delightful that as we gear up for #VPFAPublics, the new issue of VPFJ is out, featuring yours truly in some great company! Have I been wanting to write this since my MA? Quite possibly. Alcott, sensation, Genette, Goethe ... What more could you want? doi.org/10.46911/YER... @vpfa.bsky.social

My art does not stand up to the setting but was a fun and thought-provoking way to start the day, thanks @luciejones83.bsky.social, before great papers, Neo-Victorian author roundtable, and discussions over tea and coffee. An all round wonderful Day One at #VPFAPublics See you tomorrow!

A great reminder from Dr Jennifer Jones in her session on creating good writing habits this morning. I spend far too much time trying to have the ‘perfect’ first draft, which often results in unfinished projects. Reflecting on how I can ‘un-perfect’ my process at #VPFAPublics ✍🏻

Learning about William Holman Hunt’s orientalist religious works set in front of this beautiful backdrop. Absolute perfection. #VPFAPublics

#VPFAPublics Debora Sarnelli: Collins commodities himself! ("I may become once more a saleable commodity in the English book-market" (1867)