Ann Radcliffe: A Gothic Heroine for Today is the companion podcast series for the AHRC-sponsored Ann Radcliffe, Then and Now project. Listen to interviews from Radcliffe experts, each attempting to answer the question: why is Ann Radcliffe still relevant today?
Host: Dr. Rosie Whitcombe (AHRC-sponsored Research and Innovation Associate at the University of Sheffield)
Podcast Producer: Kitty Turner
Music By: Kitty Turner
EPISODE ONE: Editing The Italian with Professor Michael Gamer
Professor Gamer reflects on the process of editing Radcliffe’s penultimate novel, The Italian, or the Confessional of the Black Penitents for publication as part of The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ann Radcliffe. He provides insight into Radcliffe’s contemporary reception, explains how a handful of negative reviews impacted the novel’s early reception, and discusses the unique villainy of the novel’s antagonist, Schedoni (amongst other things). Most importantly, Professor Gamer explains why The Italian should take priority on your reading list!
EPISODE TWO: Editing The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne with Dr. Deborah Russell
Dr. Russell has had the pleasure of editing Radcliffe’s very first novel, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne, for publication as part of The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ann Radcliffe. In this episode, Dr. Russell discusses the novel’s contemporary reception, what it reveals to us about Radcliffe’s early writing process, and how this changed during the course of her career. Dr. Russell reflects on her editing process, and makes a very strong case for why The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne should be your next read.