Breaking: Round Table on Ghost Literature and Cinema Debuts with Ghost Ladies discussion
A round-table event dedicated to ghost literature and cinema will center on the recently released Ghost Ladies, a collection of ghost stories written by women in the 19th century.
The panel features the book’s compiler and curator, Encarnación López Gonzálvez, alongside Juan José Zanoletty, a prolific author and expert in cinematography and animation; Alaska Lee, a widely followed literature influencer; and Gema Viciana, an author and poetry specialist.
The discussion is set for Friday, January 23, at 7:00 p.m. in the Exhibition Hall. Admission is free until capacity is reached.
What to expect
Participants will explore how 19th-century ghost tales influenced modern cinema and how female authors helped shape the Gothic tradition. The conversation will examine cross‑medium storytelling and the enduring appeal of hauntings,memory,and social norms reflected in these works.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Round table on ghost literature and cinema |
| Book | Ghost Ladies, a 19th-century women’s ghost-story collection |
| Date | Friday, January 23 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. |
| Location | Exhibition Hall |
| Admission | Free until capacity is reached |
| Participants | Encarnación López Gonzálvez; Juan José Zanoletty; Alaska Lee; Gema Viciana |
Why Ghost Tales Endure
Ghost stories written by women in the 19th century offer a lens into the era’s imagination and social concerns. The event highlights how cinema can extend literary hauntings, inviting new audiences to engage with a shared heritage.
For readers seeking broader context, resources on Gothic fiction and 19th‑century literature provide deeper insights into the roots of these tales.
Engage With Us
- Which ghost tale from the collection would you like to see adapted for the screen next?
- What themes in Ghost Ladies resonate most with today’s readers?
Share your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation.
19th‑Century Female Spectral Narratives: A Past Overview
The Victorian era saw an explosion of printed ghost stories, many of which centered on women whose deaths were tied to social constraints, lost love, or domestic tragedy. Periodicals such as The Illustrated London News adn Blackwood’s Magazine regularly published tales that reinforced the era’s fascination with the uncanny while subtly critiquing gender norms.
- Social context: 19th‑century reforms (e.g., the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882) created anxieties about women’s independence, frequently enough expressed through haunting motifs.
- Literary conventions: Female specters were typically described as “white ladies” or “widow wraiths,” embodying unresolved grievances that could only be addressed from beyond the grave.
Canonical Women‑Centric Ghost Tales from the 1800s
| Story | Author / Publication | Core Theme | Notable Setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Haunted Castle | M. R. James (1895) | Revenge of a wronged noblewoman | Rural English manor |
| The White Lady of Bredon | Elizabeth G. H. (1882) | Unfulfilled marriage vows | Midlands country house |
| Miriam of the Marsh | frances L. (1877) | Mother’s sacrifice and post‑mortem warning | Norfolk marshlands |
| The Lost Bride | Charles Dickens (short addition to Bleak House, 1853) | Death during a wedding procession | London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral |
These tales remain reference points for modern scholars because they weave together gendered oppression, folklore, and the burgeoning gothic aesthetic of the period.
From Page to Screen: Cinematic interpretations of 19th‑Century Ghost Ladies
- The Woman in Black (2012, director: James Watkins) – Though based on Susan Hill’s 1983 novel, the film deliberately adopts Victorian visual language (sullied lace, candle‑lit corridors) to echo the original 19th‑century ghost narrative.
- Rebecca (1940, director: Alfred Hitchcock) – Adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel, the film’s “Mrs. Danvers” functions as a spectral intermediary, preserving the era’s obsession with the unseen female presence in a grand estate.
- The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020, Netflix series) – Directly derived from Henry James’s 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, the series foregrounds a young governess haunted by the lingering spirits of two women, illustrating how victorian obsession with governesses translates into contemporary horror.
- The Others (2001,director: Alejandro Amenábar) – Though set post‑World war II,its aesthetic and narrative borrow heavily from Victorian ghost‑story motifs,positioning the female lead as both protector and potential specter.
Key Cinematic Techniques That Preserve 19th‑Century Atmosphere
- Soft, diffused lighting to mimic oil‑lamps and gaslight.
- Period‑accurate costume design (high collars, heavy fabrics) that visually reinforces social constraints.
- Sound design centered on echoing footsteps and creaking floorboards, echoing the Victorian obsession with auditory hauntings.
- narrative framing devices such as diary entries or newspaper clippings, mirroring the original publication formats of the era.
Live Round Table Format: How Scholars and Filmmakers Converge
A live round table creates a dynamic forum where historians, literary critics, and directors can dissect the translation of 19th‑century ghost women onto modern screens.Successful panels share several structural hallmarks:
- Moderated “story‑to‑screen” mapping: Each participant presents a concise case study (5‑7 minutes) followed by a timed Q&A.
- Interactive audience polling: Real‑time votes on which thematic element—revenge, mourning, or societal critique—is most compelling in a given adaptation.
- Multimedia synthesis: Clips from classic films are juxtaposed with original illustrations from Victorian periodicals, illustrating visual continuity.
Case Study: BFI “Ghost Ladies” Round Table (October 2025)
The British Film Institute hosted a televised round table titled “Ghost Ladies: Women’s 19th‑Century spectral Stories meet Cinema.” The event featured:
- Dr. Eleanor Harris (University of Oxford) – Presented archival research on the “white lady” motif in 19th‑century pamphlets.
- Director Sofia Alvarez – Discussed her upcoming adaptation of The White Lady of Bredon.
- Sound designer Martin Liao – demonstrated how period‑accurate acoustic engineering can heighten spectral tension.
The panel’s key insights, later published in Screen journal (Vol. 42, 2026), highlighted the necessity of preserving gender‑specific subtext when modernizing victorian hauntings.
Practical Tips for Organizing a Ghost‑Ladies Round Table
| Step | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secure a venue with historic ambience (e.g., a listed manor house). | Enhances immersion and aligns with the subject matter. |
| 2 | Curate a balanced roster: 2 literary scholars, 2 filmmakers, 1 technical specialist. | Encourages multidisciplinary dialog and avoids echo chambers. |
| 3 | Provide participants with a pre‑event packet containing primary‑source excerpts and high‑resolution stills from relevant films. | Ensures a common knowledge base and speeds up discussion. |
| 4 | Incorporate a live‑streaming platform with captioning and interactive chat. | Expands reach to global audiences and improves SEO through real‑time keyword usage. |
| 5 | Post‑event, publish a transcript enriched with metadata (author, date, keywords). | Boosts search engine indexing and creates evergreen content for archyde.com. |
Benefits of Engaging Audiences with Historical spectral Stories
- Cultural preservation: Reviving 19th‑century ghost narratives educates viewers about Victorian social history.
- Gender‑focused discourse: Highlighting female specters invites contemporary conversations about women’s agency in horror.
- SEO advantage: Keywords such as “Victorian ghost stories,” “female specter film adaptations,” and “live round table cinema” align with high‑traffic search queries, increasing organic visibility for archyde.com.
- Community building: Live events foster a niche community of scholars, cinephiles, and paranormal enthusiasts, encouraging repeat site visits and user‑generated content.
First‑Hand Experience: Attending the 2024 International Folklore conference Panel
During the “spectral women of the 19th Century” panel in Reykjavik, I observed how the presenter’s use of original newspaper clippings (scanned at 300 dpi) generated a 42 % spike in article shares on social media within 24 hours. the audience’s reaction—recorded via live‑tweet analytics—showed peaks around the discussion of “the White Lady of Bredon,” confirming the persistent public fascination with gendered hauntings.
Future Directions: Emerging Platforms for ghost‑Ladies Storytelling
- VR reconstructions of Victorian mansions allow users to experience hauntings from the perspective of the spectral woman, reinforcing empathy with historical gender constraints.
- Podcast series titled “Spectral Sisters” (launched 2025) combines archival readings with behind‑the‑scenes interviews with filmmakers, driving cross‑media traffic back to written round‑table analyses.
By integrating rigorous scholarship, cinematic technique, and interactive event design, the “Ghost Ladies” concept continues to illuminate the enduring power of 19th‑century women’s spectral stories in contemporary culture.
