A giant of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris was one of the foremost creative geniuses of Victorian Britain. Morris’s wife Jane, however, is often relegated to a footnote in her husband’s illustrious history.

Join art historian Suzanne Fagence Cooper, author of  How We Might Live, in conversation with playwright and arts equality specialist Hassan Mahamdallie, author of Crossing the ‘River of Fire’: The Socialism of William Morris, as they discuss Jane as an artist in her own right, and her role in her husband’s life as both his muse and his most important collaborator.

Together, Suzanne Fagence Cooper and Hassan Mahamdallie will uncover the world that William and Jane built together and the incredible life they lived. 

 

 

About The Author

Suzanne Fagence Cooper is a speaker at Bradford Literature Festival

Suzanne Fagence Cooper

Dr Suzanne FagenceCooperis an art historian focusing on 19thand20thCentury British art. She was a curator and Research Fellow at theV&A Museum for 12 years and is currently Honorary VisitingFellow at the University of York. She has consulted on a number ofTV and film projects including Simon Schama’sHistory of Britain.Suzanne is the author ofEffie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, JohnRuskin and MillaisandTo See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters.

About The Chair

Hassan Mahamdallie Headshot

Hassan Mahamdallie

Hassan Mahamdallie is a specialist in diversity and equality in the arts. An internationally known senior policy maker, he is the author of Arts Council England’s unique approach: The Creative Case for Diversity. With a background in theatre, Hassan is also a published writer, playwright, a campaigner for race equality and writer on Muslim culture and thought. Hassan’s book Crossing the ‘River of Fire’: The Socialism of William Morris is now available in its second edition.