William Makepeace Thackeray with D.J Taylor, Carlyle’s House

Discover the eventful and exciting life of the Victorian literary legend with a detailed insight from his biographer, leading critic and novelist D.J. Taylor. 

The man behind Vanity Fair, whose literary talent was equal to Dickens, led a life so curious and dramatic it reads almost like the plot of an epic of Victorian realist novel. Having penned William Makepeace Thackeray's biography, D.J Taylor illuminates this enigmatic life and career. 

There's an echo of Jane Eyre, as Thackeray's wife was plagued by mental illness, a Hardy-esque tragedy of two more or less motherless young daughters, a Dickens-worthy lost fortune, and a scandalous intimacy with the wife of his best friend. But perhaps most surprising of all, Taylor reveals that this celebrated writer may not have actually wanted to write at all.

The historic surroundings of Carlyle House enhance this literary historical evening: Thackeray was a close friend of Carlyle, so often would have sat in the very space where he will now be discussed and remembered.