University College Hosts Gothic Culture Conference

This Friday 8^th and Saturday 9^th March, the School of Communication, Culture and Creative Arts (CCCA) is hosting a multi-disciplinary conference that explores the influences of Gothic culture on modern life. The conference, Gothic: Culture, subculture, counterculture, has been organised by St Mary’s in conjunction with neighbouring Strawberry Hill House, which was formerly owned by the writer of the first ‘Gothic novel’ The Castle of Otranto, Horace Walpole. Twickenham has a unique place in the history of Gothic, because of Walpole’s residence here. He not only wrote the first Gothic novel, but built the first complete house of the architectural ‘Gothic Revival’. This major international conference will welcome researchers from five continents to interrogate the importance of Strawberry Hill and its Gothic influence on the international scene. From novels and films, to fashion and architecture, influences from Gothic culture can be found everywhere and during the conference delegates will have the opportunity to explore these Gothic tendencies, how they have shaped the cultural and political landscape, and how such relationships might be assessed by historians and critics. For more information and to book, please visit the website.