The War and the Novelists: a talk in Sheffield

I shall be giving a talk in Sheffield on January 30th, on The War and the Novelists, looking at how writers of fiction responded to the Great War, both during theactual war years, and in the 1920s.

I’ll be suggesting that patriotic stories published during the war were not always mindless patriotism, but often were ways of dealing with current anxieties, and frequently outlined the difference between sensible and excessive ways of supporting the war effort.

I shall also be talking about the very various kinds of thoughtful war fiction that appeared in the twenties, long before the ‘war-books boom’ at the end of the decade.

The talk is one of a series of talks given by members and supporters of Reading Sheffield during January and February. Details are below. Some of the talks, including mine, are selling out fast, so do book early.

The talks:

A Brief History of Cigarette Cards How people found things out before Google and Wikipedia. A free talk by Professor Chris Hopkins. Mon, 9 January 2023, 17:00 – 18:00 at Crystal Peaks Library. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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Steel City Readers in Wadsley between the Wars: What did local people read in Wadsley? A free talk by Dr Mary Grover. Fri, 20 January 2023, 10:30 – 11:30 at Hillsborough Library. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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‘Bracketed in lines of flames’: Sheffield Libraries in World War Two. A free talk by Val Hewson. Wed, 25 Jan 2023, 14:00 – 15.00 at Woodseats Library. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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What did Sheffield people read in the nineteenth century? Exploring the history of Sheffield’s early community libraries: A free talk by Sue Roe and Loveday Herridge. Mon, 30 January 2023, 17:00 – 18:00 at Highfield Library and Family Centre. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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The War and the Novelists: 1914-1930. How did novelists during WW1 write about the conflict? A free talk by Dr George Simmers. Mon, 30 January 2023, 17:00 – 18:00 at Darnall Library. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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Telling other people’s stories: Steel City Readers: A free talk by Dr Mary Grover on reading in Sheffield and what it reveals about the city’s culture and people in the first half of the 20th c. Tues, 31 January 2023, 18:15 – 19:45 at Sheffield Hallam University Peak Lecture Theatre. Booking and details through Reading Sheffield Eventbrite here:

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How did your Nan cook Sunday dinner? Exploring vintage recipe books. A free talk by Val Hewson. Thu, 9 February 2023, 14:00 – 15:00 at Chapeltown Library. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:  

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And don’t forget our two very special benefit shows by BBC Radio 4’s own Robin Ince. All ticket sales go to Reading Sheffield’s Steel City Readers fundraising appeal:

Robin Ince: Bibliomaniac – The Joy of Reading. Wed, 11 January 2023, 16:00 – 17:00 in Sheffield Central Library. Tickets £15. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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Robin Ince: Bibliomaniac – The Joy of Reading. Wed, 11 January 2023, 19.00 – 20.00 in Sheffield Central Library. Tickets £15. Booking and details through Sheffield Libraries Eventbrite here:

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