About Adelaide Anne Procter: Victorian Poetry, Faith and Fundraising
In this series, hosts Elizabeth Ludlow and Amanda Vernon commemorate the life and work of Victorian poet and activist Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-64). While Procter was a bestselling poet in the nineteenth century, she is not as well remembered now. Through conversations with experts in academia and the charity sector, this podcast reflects on the significance of her poetry, journalism, editing work, and social activism and thinks about how her writings might connect with us today.
In this final episode, Lizzie and Amanda are joined by Professor Josie Billington (https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/josie-billington) from the University of Liverpool to discuss the powerful experiences of collective reading and to address how readers might approach Procter today. They discuss Josie’s work with The Reader (https://www.thereader.org.uk/), the UK’s biggest Shared Reading charity and share reflections on two of Procter’s poems, ‘Old Echoes’ (https://dvpp.uvic.ca/poems/householdwords/1853/pom_1274_old_echoes.html) and ‘Homeless’. (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_chaplet_2.htm#338)
To read Josie’s reflections on the curative power of literature, Lizzie and Amanda recommend her book, Is Literature Healthy: The Literary Agenda (Oxford University Press, 2016).
Written, presented and produced by Elizabeth Ludlow and Amanda Vernon
20 Nov 2025
Episode 4: Activism, Charity, and Fundraising
Amanda and Lizzie are joined by the Head of Community and Events at the Providence Row Charity (https://www.providencerow.org.uk/), Maria O’Donoghue and journalist and scholar Professor Lesa Scholl. (https://ethos.org.au/lesa-scholl-coordinating-editor/) They explore Procter’s activism, her early involvement in Providence Row night refuge for women and children, and her publication, A Chaplet of Verses (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/b_chaplet_index.htm) (1862), which she wrote to raise both awareness and funds for the refuge. With Maria, they learn about the history and ongoing work of Providence Row in supporting those affected by homelessness in the East End of London. With Lesa, they then discuss the challenge offered in Procter’s poem, ‘The Cradle Song of the Poor’ (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_poems_1a.htm#035) and reflect on the doctrine of giving that is expressed in ‘Give’ (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_poems_1b.htm#058).
For further detail about Procter’s activism and faith, the hosts recommend Lesa Scholl’s book, Hunger, Poetry, and the Oxford Movement: The Tractarian Social Vision (Bloomsbury 2020).
13 Nov 2025
Episode 3: Feminism and Print Culture
In the first part of this episode, Lizzie and Amanda are joined by Dr Alex Round (https://museandmatriarchy.wordpress.com/) to find out more about Procter’s close friend Bessie Parkes and the feminist circles in which both women moved and wrote.
In the second part, they speak to Professor James Mussell (https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/1012/professor-james-mussell) from the University of Leeds about a publication that both Procter and Parkes were involved in, The English Woman’s Journal (https://ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/) (digitalised by the Nineteenth Century Serials Edition (https://ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/)) and reflect on its origins, readership, and significance.
Written, presented and produced by Elizabeth Ludlow and Amanda Vernon
6 Nov 2025
Episode 2: Faith in Poetry
In this episode, Amanda and Lizzie are joined by Professor Emma Mason (https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/people/masonemma) from the University of Warwick to discuss Procter’s Roman Catholic faith. They discover the radical aspects of Procter’s faith, reflect on her understanding and representation of emotion in her poetry, and consider the significance of the Virgin Mary in Procter’s faith and poetry.
Poems discussed include ‘Incompleteness’ (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_poems_1b.htm#062) and ‘The Shrines of Mary’. (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_chaplet_2.htm#306)
Recommended reading to accompany this episode includes Emma Mason’s book, Women Poets of the Nineteenth Century (Northcote House, 2006), and Karen Dieleman’s more recent book, Religious Imaginaries: The Liturgical and Poetic Practices of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti, and Adelaide Procter (Ohio University Press, 2012).
Written, presented and produced by Elizabeth Ludlow and Amanda Vernon
28 Oct 2025
Episode 1: Introduction
The hosts, Dr. Elizabeth Ludlow (https://www.aru.ac.uk/people/elizabeth-ludlow) and Dr. Amanda Vernon (https://www.amandabvernon.com/) introduce their new five-part podcast series, designed to celebrate Victorian poet and activist Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-64) in her bicentenary year.
In this episode, they give a taster of what’s to come in the four episodes that follow this and the themes that will be covered, including faith, charity work and literary fundraising, feminism and print culture. They also reflect on what it means to read Procter today.
Poems discussed include ‘A Legend of Provence’ (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_poems_2a.htm) and ‘A Lost Chord’ (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/c_poems_2a.htm#016). To listen to John McCormack's recording of ‘The Lost Chord’ (available on on The Internet Archive), please click here (https://archive.org/details/78_the-lost-chord_john-mccormack-adelaide-a-proctor-sir-arthur-sullivan_gbia0458057b).
Recommended web resources include the biography of Procter on the Minor Victorian Writers website (https://minorvictorianwriters.org.uk/procter/index.htm), and Dickens Journals Online (https://www.djo.org.uk/). To learn more about Procter, the hosts recommend Gill Gregory’s biography, The Life and Work of Adelaide Procter: Poetry, Feminism and Fathers (Ashgate, 1998).
Written, presented and produced by Elizabeth Ludlow and Amanda Vernon
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