225 years of Belinda by Maria Edgeworth

In 1801, Maria Edgeworth published Belinda, a novel that challenged conventions and offered readers a sharp and thoughtful portrayal of society, character, and independence. Now, 225 years later, we are celebrating this important milestone with a special event in Dublin.

Join us on 26 March for a day dedicated to Edgeworth’s remarkable novel. The celebration begins at Dubray on Grafton Street, where a first edition of Belinda will be on display and copies of the novel will be available. 

1:00pm:

From there, participants in Regency costume will promenade down Grafton Street to St Stephen’s Green, recreating the spirit of the period in which the novel first appeared.

4:15pm:

The day will conclude at the Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin, with a public lecture:

“The Sweetest Violet”: Finding Out Character in Edgeworth’s Belinda
by Professor Jim Chandler (University of Chicago)

This lecture is organised by the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts & Humanities Research Institute and will reflect on the literary significance and enduring legacy of Edgeworth’s novel.

Readers, scholars, and the simply curious are warmly invited to take part in this celebration of one of the most distinctive novels of the early nineteenth century.