vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association
@vpfa.bsky.social
88 followers 76 following 44 posts
A forum for everyone interested in #Victorian and #Neovictorian popular fiction and culture. Hosts VPFJ Journal and Third Sex and Short Story Reading Groups 📚https://victorianpopularfiction.org/
victorianpopularfiction.org
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 1d
Submissions for the VPFA First Book Prize are now OPEN! Deadline is 31st December 2025. For full eligibility criteria and submission guidelines, go to: victorianpopularfiction.org/vpfa-book-pr...
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 2d
Sign up to attend the VPFA's Third Sex Reading group's October session on Natasha Pulley's The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a neo-Victorian novel To sign up this month, please email
[email protected] with 'FAO: Third Sex No. 43' and ask to be added to the attendees list.
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 5d
@rs4vp.org @l19cmanmet.bsky.social @bavs-uk.bsky.social
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healthhumslboro.bsky.social
Health Humanities Research Group @healthhumslboro.bsky.social · 6d
CFP 📣 Join us in Loughborough 📍 for a day of Sensation fiction and health humanities organised by our very own @braddonite.bsky.social. ✨ See post below for details 👇
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 6d
🚨Call for Papers!
❓Sensation Fiction and the Health Humanities: A VPFA Study Day
🗺️Loughborough University
📅27 March 2026
💷 FREE
For full CfP: victorianpopularfiction.org/studyday/for...
Contact the organiser Anne-Marie Beller (@braddonite.bsky.social) at [email protected] for more information
Mentally ill patients dancing at a ball at Somerset County Asylum. Process print after a lithograph by K. Drake, ca. 1850/1855. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/xswz3swa CFP: Sensation Fiction and the Health Humanities A VPFA Study Day Loughborough University, 27 March 2026 The Health Humanities and Victorian popular fiction intersect in revealing ways, offering insights into how 19th-century literature shaped and reflected contemporary understandings of health, illness, and the body. Popular narratives not only mirrored anxieties surrounding public health and medical progress but also contributed to shaping public perceptions of health and healing. Health Humanities approaches re-examine these texts to uncover how cultural narratives and literary representations influenced attitudes toward physical and mental well-being, gendered experiences of illness, and the ethics of care in an age of rapid scientific change. Health Humanities is a particularly useful approach to sensation fiction because it illuminates the ways in which these emotionally charged, often morally ambiguous narratives explore and interrogate concepts of the body, illness, and mental health. Sensation fiction, with its focus on secrets, trauma, nervous disorders, and abnormal psychological states, frequently dramatizes the anxieties of Victorian society surrounding health, gender, and identity. By applying the lens of Health Humanities, scholars can uncover how these texts reflect and shape contemporary medical discourse. Interdisciplinary approaches also highlight how sensation fiction critiques institutional medicine, domestic care practices, and the pathologization of women’s experiences. Ultimately, Health Humanities allows us to see sensation fiction not just as entertainment, but as a culturally significant form that negotiates the meanings of illness, morality, and human vulnerability in a rapidly changing world. 20-minute papers are invited on any aspect of the health humanities and sensation fiction. Topics may include, but are not limited to the following: • Madness, Hysteria, and the Sensation Heroine • The Role of Doctors and Medical Authority in Se…
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 6d
🚨Call for Papers!
❓Sensation Fiction and the Health Humanities: A VPFA Study Day
🗺️Loughborough University
📅27 March 2026
💷 FREE
For full CfP: victorianpopularfiction.org/studyday/for...
Contact the organiser Anne-Marie Beller (@braddonite.bsky.social) at [email protected] for more information
Mentally ill patients dancing at a ball at Somerset County Asylum. Process print after a lithograph by K. Drake, ca. 1850/1855. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/xswz3swa CFP: Sensation Fiction and the Health Humanities A VPFA Study Day Loughborough University, 27 March 2026 The Health Humanities and Victorian popular fiction intersect in revealing ways, offering insights into how 19th-century literature shaped and reflected contemporary understandings of health, illness, and the body. Popular narratives not only mirrored anxieties surrounding public health and medical progress but also contributed to shaping public perceptions of health and healing. Health Humanities approaches re-examine these texts to uncover how cultural narratives and literary representations influenced attitudes toward physical and mental well-being, gendered experiences of illness, and the ethics of care in an age of rapid scientific change. Health Humanities is a particularly useful approach to sensation fiction because it illuminates the ways in which these emotionally charged, often morally ambiguous narratives explore and interrogate concepts of the body, illness, and mental health. Sensation fiction, with its focus on secrets, trauma, nervous disorders, and abnormal psychological states, frequently dramatizes the anxieties of Victorian society surrounding health, gender, and identity. By applying the lens of Health Humanities, scholars can uncover how these texts reflect and shape contemporary medical discourse. Interdisciplinary approaches also highlight how sensation fiction critiques institutional medicine, domestic care practices, and the pathologization of women’s experiences. Ultimately, Health Humanities allows us to see sensation fiction not just as entertainment, but as a culturally significant form that negotiates the meanings of illness, morality, and human vulnerability in a rapidly changing world. 20-minute papers are invited on any aspect of the health humanities and sensation fiction. Topics may include, but are not limited to the following: • Madness, Hysteria, and the Sensation Heroine • The Role of Doctors and Medical Authority in Se…
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Reposted by Victorian Popular Fiction Association
janetteleaf.bsky.social
Dr Janette Leaf @janetteleaf.bsky.social · 7d
I'm grateful to @bavs-uk.bsky.social @vpfa.bsky.social @issegyptomania.bsky.social bsls.ac.uk @incsa.bsky.social @thebsls.bsky.social & so many individuals within the #Victorian #Gothic #Egyptomania #LitSci #PreRaphaeilite communities for friendship & support during my Research Fellowships.
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Reposted by Victorian Popular Fiction Association
ebutler-way.bsky.social
Emma Butler-Way @ebutler-way.bsky.social · 7d
What a joy it was getting this page ready to go! All the thanks to @helenaesser.bsky.social for the material!

Here we'll have reflections, contemplations, speculations and more (all of a Victorian/neo-Victorian nature, of course).

Interested in contributing? Follow the link below & get in touch!
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 7d
Excited to announce that the VPFA blog has launched! Thanks to Emma Butler-Way for her hard work in getting it ready for today, for more information check out the blog at the link below:

victorianpopularfiction.org/the-vpfa-blog/
The VPFA Blog
The VPFA Blog Welcome to the VPFA Blog! Here we will have ponderings, reflections, speculative readings, and more, for the reading pleasure of our fellow Victorianists. If you would like to submit …
victorianpopularfiction.org
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 7d
Excited to announce that the VPFA blog has launched! Thanks to Emma Butler-Way for her hard work in getting it ready for today, for more information check out the blog at the link below:

victorianpopularfiction.org/the-vpfa-blog/
The VPFA Blog
The VPFA Blog Welcome to the VPFA Blog! Here we will have ponderings, reflections, speculative readings, and more, for the reading pleasure of our fellow Victorianists. If you would like to submit …
victorianpopularfiction.org
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 12d
Don't forget to sign up for our Virtual Writing retreat - the perfect opportunity for dedicated Writing time for those upcoming winter deadlines ❄️
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 27d
Join us for a virtual writing retreat designed for VPFA members! Working on a conference paper, article, thesis, or admin tasks? this structured retreat offers dedicated time, body doubling, and proven productivity techniques inspired by Rowena Murray. Drop in or stay the full day!
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 21d
CURRAN FELLOWSHIPS awarded by The Research Society for Victorian Periodicals
Applications due: 15 October 2025. Open to researchers of any age exploring the British periodical press of long C19. More information can be found here: rs4vp.org/awards/curra...
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 23d
You can find a 'Historic View' link here, which gives you a moving snapshot of each of the archives from circa 100 years ago: exacteditions.com/historic/cahl
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 23d
Exciting new Digital tool for Victorian scholars with
@exacteditions.bsky.social
,providing a new, fully searchable window into The Illustrated London News, The Illustrated War News, The Graphic & The Sphere. For more information: For more information: publisher.exacteditions.com
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Reposted by Victorian Popular Fiction Association
smdsmith.bsky.social
Siobhan-Michelle Smith @smdsmith.bsky.social · 27d
The reading packs produced by the @vpfa.bsky.social's third sex reading group are always gorgeous, and the discussions are always great. What's not to love!
Join us Wed 17th Sept @ 5.30pm UK time to discuss the highly problematic "Lodore". Everybody welcome... message for more details.
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 26d
RSVP 2026 Conference Call for Papers: 'Movements and Migrations', to be held at Trinity College, Dublin, 23-25th July 2026. Share widely! @rs4vp.org
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 27d
f you are a VPFA member, check your previous emails for 'Upcoming VPFA events' to find sign up links. If you aren't a member, sign up here to receive your links: victorianpopularfiction.org/membership-j...
Membership
To join the VPFA, or renew your membership, please complete our membership form:VPFA-Membership-Form 2025-26 (downloads Word Document)Full membership is £25 and Student membership is £10. Membershi…
victorianpopularfiction.org
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 27d
Join us for a virtual writing retreat designed for VPFA members! Working on a conference paper, article, thesis, or admin tasks? this structured retreat offers dedicated time, body doubling, and proven productivity techniques inspired by Rowena Murray. Drop in or stay the full day!
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · 28d
COMING SOON for VPFA Third Sex Reading Group. Email [email protected] to be added to our mailing list to find out how to sign up for future sessions 📖
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Sep 5
🚨FINAL REMINDER🚨 What better way to spend your Saturday afternoon (especially with the terrible weather we've been having) than with a nice warm cuppa ☕️ and some great conversation with people in your field? Become a member to get your sign up link! victorianpopularfiction.org/membership-j...
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Aug 7
Step into the world of steam, scandal, and storytelling at our Virtual Victorian Tea Salon. Brew your favourite blend and join fellow members online for a lively afternoon discussion, creativity, and Victorian charm. All are welcome at our virtual tea table, whether sharing, reading, or sipping!
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Reposted by Victorian Popular Fiction Association
rrrjournal.bsky.social
Romance, Revolution & Reform @rrrjournal.bsky.social · Sep 3
📢 Just a few weeks left to submit your abstracts for our exciting conference at the University of Stirling in January!

🗓 Deadline: 22 Sept
📩 Email: [email protected]
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Sep 4
Read about the projects and experiences of previous Mary Eliza Root prize winners (Anne Chapman, Lin Young, Jon Potter, Asma Char, Adele Guyton, Helen McKenzie, and Joanne Knowles) here: victorianpopularfiction.org/mer-prize-re...
Apply by 30th September for your chance to visit Gladstone's Library
MER Prize Reports (Blog)
Mary Eliza Root Award Reports 2017: Anne Chapman, King’s College London Anne was awarded the prize for her research into ‘Day of Rest: Structuring Sunday’, which explores the ways…
victorianpopularfiction.org
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Sep 4
The 2025 prize is now open! (deadline: 30th September 2025). The prize offers the winning scholar two nights' accommodation (with breakfast and dinner) for up to three days' research at Gladstone's Library. To find out more about eligibility and process: victorianpopularfiction.org/mary-eliza-r...
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Aug 20
Your reminder to become a VPFA member so you can attend our Virtual Tea Salon next month! ☕️✨️
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Aug 7
Step into the world of steam, scandal, and storytelling at our Virtual Victorian Tea Salon. Brew your favourite blend and join fellow members online for a lively afternoon discussion, creativity, and Victorian charm. All are welcome at our virtual tea table, whether sharing, reading, or sipping!
vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Aug 14
VPFA Third Sex reading group will be returning for their first session of Season 6 on 17th September, 5.30-7pm. The topic will be Mary Shelley's Lodore, co-hosted with Susan Civale and Siobhan-Michelle Smith! Sign up here: www.eventbrite.com/e/lodore-tic...
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Aug 8
The Editors of Victorian Popular Fictions are looking for guest editors for autumn special issues from 2027 - 2030. Please see the attached CFP. The deadline for proposals is 30th September 2025, and we are very happy to take any queries, please just email us at [email protected].
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vpfa.bsky.social
Victorian Popular Fiction Association @vpfa.bsky.social · Aug 7
Keep your eyes peeled on your inbox for our upcoming events and for information on how to register. Want to attend but you're not a member? Become one here: victorianpopularfiction.org/membership-j...
Membership
To join the VPFA, or renew your membership, please complete our membership form:VPFA-Membership-Form 2025-26 (downloads Word Document)Full membership is £25 and Student membership is £10. Membershi…
victorianpopularfiction.org