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Lecture cancellation
For the full Lecture Programme - please click on the button on the right.
Please make sure you scroll down the list as we have different programmes of events:
Lit & Phil events (including Art, Literature and Music)
Debates in conjunction with the Newcastle Philosophy Society
Art, Literature and Music
Darwin Group - The Descent of Man
The Centre for Behaviour and Evolution at Newcastle University is organising another Darwin Reading Group and the chosen book this year is The Descent of Man (plus two chapters from "Selection in relation to sex"). The second edition will be used.
Meetings will take place every other Tuesday at 7:30pm in the Lit & Phil’s Committee Room.
16th February 2010
2nd March 2010
16th March 2010
Chapter 6: On the affinities and genealogy of man.
Chapter 7: On the races of man
20th April 2010
Chapter 19: Secondary sexual characters of man
Chapter 20: Secondary sexual characters of man - continued.
4th May 2010
Summary/general discussion
Thursday 11th March, 6.00pm
"The first music-seller in the land": the professional street ballad singer in pre- and early-industrial society.
Dr Vic Gammon, Newcastle University
Saturday 20th March 9.30am - 1.00pm
Engineering for the World: Lord Armstrong at the Lit & Phil
2010 is the 200th anniversary of one of Tyneside’s most famous sons, William Armstrong, the Victorian and Edwardian shipbuilding and armaments magnate. Armstrong had another side, as philanthropist, intellectual and civic figure who was president of the Lit & Phil for 40 years. We are marking the anniversary with a public conference which will appraise the economic, social, and intellectual impact of Armstrong and his works, locally, nationally and globally. Sponsored by Northumbria University’s Department of Humanities, Newcastle's Lit and Phil and the Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science Week, the event takes place in the Lit & Phil, Westgate Road, Newcastle, Stephenson Room. Refreshments will be served at 9.30am and 1.00pm.
All sessions will be chaired by Don MacRaild (Northumbria University)
Dan Jackson: 'Lord Armstrong and the Martial Traditions of the North East' Policy, Performance and Commissioning Manager, South Tyneside Council
Bill Purdue: 'Lord Armstrong: New Northumbrian'
Visiting Professor, Northumbria University
Richard Sharp: 'William Armstrong and the Lit & Phil'
Historian & Honorary Secretary, Lit & Phil Library
Henrietta Heald: 'Armstrong of Elswick: Employer and Entrepreneur' Author of William Armstrong: Magician of the North
For further information please contact Gill Drinkald by email at gill.drinkald@northumbria.ac.uk or by phone 0191 227 3880.
Monday 22nd March, 6.00pm Collingwood and Nelson: A Unique Friendship - Max Adams. FREE to members, £2 for non-members. In association with Tyne Bridge Publishing.
Thursday 25th March, 6.00pm Jesmond Old Cemetery - Ray Hayes, Secretary of Friends of Jesmond Old Cemetery. The Cemetery was designed by John Dobson and opened as a private cemetery in 1836. It contains a wealth of social history, with instantly recognisable names such as Dobson himself, Laing, Hancock, Bainbridge, Fenwick, Pumphrey and Dove. Come and find out who else is bured there. FREE to members, £2 to non-members.
Tours of the City Library and the Lit & Phil Join one of the tours and see the music resources that these two city centre libraries have to offer.
Tuesday 13th April, 11.00am
11.00am Meet at City Library for a tour of the building and its resources.
12noon Break for lunch.
1.30pm Meet at the Lit & Phil for a tour of the library and an introduction to the music collection.
Saturday 17th April, 11.00am
11.00am Meet at the Lit & Phil for a tour of the library and an introduction to the music collection.
12noon Break for lunch.
1.30pm Meet at City Library for a tour of the building and its resources.
Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment:
To book, contact Newcastle Libraries Contact Centre on (0191) 2774100, or email: information@newcastle.gov.uk
SEEING IS BELIEVING – Exploring the unknown at the Lit & Phil, April - May
Friday 16th April 2pm-4pm (1 of 3) Course: Depiction of the Supernatural in Art, Dr. Gail-Nina Anderson £4 per session or 3 sessions for £10
Monday 19th April 7.00pm A Pleasing Terror: 2 Ghost Stories by M. R. James, performed by Robert Lloyd Parry
The critically acclaimed one-man show is an atmospheric retelling of two of the earliest and greatest tales by M.R. James, the master of the English ghost story. Performance lasts 100 minutes including interval. WARNING: INCLUDES MOMENTS OF PLEASING TERROR £5 members £7 non-members
Tuesday 20th April 6.30-8.00pm Hauntings in the Heart of the City – a new walking tour led by City Guides
From the mysterious mists and unexplained sightings of the Castle Keep you will walk through the medieval area of the city with its many ethereal apparitions. The tour will finish with a visit to one of the most haunted buildings in Newcastle, the Lit & Phil, where you will hear tales of witches, ghostly presences and the spirit of an old librarian who wanders amongst the bookshelves. Meeting point is the Castle Keep. Numbers limited, pre-booking via the Lit & Phil essential £2 members £5 non-members
Friday 23rd April 2pm-4pm (2 of 3) Course: Depiction of the Supernatural in Art – Dr. Gail-Nina Anderson £4 per session or 3 sessions for £10
Tuesday 27th April 6.00pm The Wonderful and Frightening World of Forteana – Ian Simmons
Who was Charles Fort and what is Forteana? If someone spontaneously combusts, if it rains fish, blood, frogs or fruit, a Fortean will be interested - Charles Fort and his writings have had a huge influence on how we see the paranormal and associated phenomena, but who was he, what did he do to have such an influence and how is his approach being used today to explore modern high weirdness? £2 members £4 non-members
Wednesday 28th April 1.00pm Boo! The Ghost Stories of the 19th Century – David Stuart Davies
With dramatised readings, David Stuart Davies traces the development of the ghost story in the nineteenth century through the work of two masters of the genre: Charles Dickens and M.R. James. £2 members £4 non-members
Friday 30th April 2pm-4pm (3 of 3) Course: Depiction of the Supernatural in Art – Dr. Gail-Nina Anderson £4 per session or 3 sessions for £10
Saturday 1st May 2.00pm Talk: Spirit Photography – Gordon Rutter. In the mid nineteenth century spiritualism was founded as a religion in America and in Europe photography was born. Very quickly photographs of ghosts were being taken all around the world. This profusely illustrated lecture provides a tour of some of the best examples of spirit photography from the past 150 years. But are any of them genuine?
Gordon Rutter has written extensively on the paranormal for magazines and books and his science based training gives him an open minded and sceptical approach to the subject. £2 members £4 non-members.
May (date TBC) Talk: The Ghost Club – Alan Murdie £2 members £4 non-members
Saturday 8th May 10.30-12noon Hauntings in the Heart of the City – a new walking tour led by City Guides (see Tuesday 20th April) £2 members £4 non-members, numbers limited - pre-booking via the Lit & Phil essential
Tuesday 18th May 1pm
Talk: Fairies and Witches in Literature – Dr Richard Moore
This lecture will examine the way fairies and witches have been presented in Western Literature and the degree to which a sense of them has permeated everyday rural life – such as Mrs Gaskell’s Lois the Witch and Harrison Ainsworth’s The Lancashire Witches – we shall also consider some ‘real-life’cases. £2 members £4 non-members
Monday 24th May 6.00pm Diabolus in Musica - the Supernatural Piano of Dr. Huckvale Music and the supernatural have always gone hand in claw. David Huckvale opens the lid of his haunted piano to invoke the supernatural splendours of Franz Liszt, Camille Saint-Saëns, Modest Mussorgsky, Richard Wagner, Alexander Scriabin, the music of Hammer horror films and many others, to discover just what it is that puts the spookery in music.
For over twenty years, David Huckvale was a researcher, contributer and music critic for BBC Radio 3 and 4, on which he still makes occasional appearances. He has published three books on a Gothic horror theme and he currently combines writing with lecturing on film music at Birmingham University.
£2 members £4 non-members
Wednesday 26th May 6pm Talk: the Ghost of Stories of E.F. Benson - Dr Gail-Nina Anderson £2 members £4 non-members
Thursday 24th June 7.00pm Phantoms at the Phil – Three new commissioned short spooky stories from established Phantoms participants: Sean O’Brien, Chaz Brenchley and Gail-Nina Anderson £3 members £5 non-members
Thursday 1st July 7.00pm Ghost Story Competition Winners
Three budding authors read the stories they have entered into our Phantoms competition.(details of how to enter will follow) £3 members £5 non-members.
Lit & Phil and City Library Concert Series
Free concerts in the heart of the city! The Lit & Phil and Newcastle City Library have come together to bring a series of five lunchtime concerts to the city, taking place in both libraries.
Thursday 22nd April, 1:10pm - 2:00pm
Vocal music, with Mary Houlton & Erla Nolso
Venue: Lit & Phil
Sunday 25th April, 1:10pm - 2:00pm
Folk music, with fiddle band Flash Company
Venue: City Library
Thursday 6th May, 1:10pm - 2:00pm
Folk music (details to follow)
Venue: Lit & Phil
Sunday 16th May, 1:10pm - 2:00pm
Classical guitar music, with Kirill Gara
Venue: City Library
Thursday 20th May, 1:10pm - 2:00pm
Flute music, with Rebecca Chalmers
Venue: Lit & Phil
All concerts are free and no booking is required.
Debates, in conjunction with Newcastle Philosophy Society
Held in MI Lecture Theatre.
Thursday 8th April 2010, 6pm-8.30pm
Geordieland: temper or temperance?
Is Geordieland a place of extremes where the keen embrace of explosive temper, fixed temperament, and the alluring science of genetics alternate with strident temperance, earnest piety, and stark asceticism? Can we at last negotiate the middle ground of inclusion, integration and moderation in our bid for a nascent culture in the North East?
Discussion led by Joel Yoeli - Trustee of Newcastle Philosophy Society. FREE, but please pre-book.
To reserve your seat:
Please reserve your seat by calling (0191) 232 0192, emailing library@litandphil.org.uk or by calling in.
If you reserve a ticket and are subsequently unable to attend, please let us know as we often have a waiting list. Thank you.
In addition to the events listed here, there will be more events added to the list throughout the year. Please check here or in the library for details.