DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Title

Annual Report

Authors

Kathleen Adams

Date of this Version

1991

Document Type

Article

Citation

The George Eliot Review 23 (1992)

Comments

Published by The George Eliot Review Online https://GeorgeEliotReview.org

Abstract

An uneventful Annual General Meeting in March began our year and was followed by a much more stimulating AGM of the Alliance of Literary Societies in Birmingham on April 20th, when a party from the Fellowship attended and had the pleasure of meeting members of other literary societies with whom we could exchange ideas. The Alliance President, Gabriel Woolf, addressed the meeting and spoke with feeling about the need to educate our young people in the literature of the past - a sentiment echoed a few days later by the Prince of Wales.

On April 26th we attended the official opening of the newly extended and refurbished Nuneaton Museum, and our Chairman presented to the Mayor framed prints of two paintings of scenes from Adam Bede, the originals of which were commissioned by Queen Victoria and are today part of the Royal Collection. We are watching closely the final furnishing of the George Eliot Gallery, based on the Priory Drawing Room and containing models of George Eliot, G.H. Lewes and John Cross, and we hope to play a part in making the room look lived in rather than a static display.

Gabriel Woolf made his 22nd visit to Warwickshire in April to present 'Tall, Dark and Handsome?', his annual programme of George Eliot Readings. His excellent selection of material showed how unlike George Eliot's heroes are to the stereotype in Victorian fiction, and a large audience clearly enjoyed the evenings at Nuneaton and Coventry. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, we were able to easily afford the very high hire charge at the University of Warwick Arts Centre; we are so grateful to them, for without their help we could not continue there.