Susannah Fullerton

Born to an English family of peers on 9 March 1892, Victoria (Vita) Mary Sackville-West grew up at Knole, an ancestral home that can be traced back to the Elizabethan writer Thomas Sackville. read more buff.ly/3ykdFsb #OnThisDay #vitasackvillewest

Eight years before 'Jane Eyre' was published, on 5 March 1839, Charlotte Brontë received a marriage proposal letter from Henry Nussey, a Sussex curate. It was the second one he'd issued in less than 2 weeks. read more: buff.ly/3EZmOKB #OnThisDay #charlottebronte #janeeyre

Are you ready to blaze some trails? Last chance to get your discounted price on all 4 talks. Book now - and we'll see you on Monday afternoon. book here: buff.ly/3Zl530i #trailblazers #drjohnson #marywollstonecraft #florencenightingale @williammorris

John Tenniel's drawings for Lewis Carroll's 'Alice' books are some of the most recognisable of all literary illustrations. You'd never guess that he struggled with poor eyesight caused by his father. Tenniel was born on 28 February 1820. buff.ly/3Y7fOC9 #OnThisDay

330 years ago The Ladies’ Mercury printed a letter sent in by a woman who had an affair before marriage & asks whether it is proper of her to feign her virginity on her wedding night. Seems to me that Women's magazines haven't changed much. buff.ly/41oiQVD #OnThisDay

During a literary career that spanned more than 60 years, Victor Hugo wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He was born on 26 February 1802. Would you like to know where he was conceived? buff.ly/3IQN3p0 #OnThisDay

Thanks to the popular 1994 movie Four Weddings and a Funeral, thousands of people who had probably never read a word from W.H. Auden have been exposed to his work. Auden was born on 21 February 1907. read more: buff.ly/3EkA8J8 #OnThisDay #WHAuden

Due to a policy of anonymous publishing, R.L. Stevenson's first published work went completely uncredited for 100 years. That's been corrected now. Stevenson's 'An Old Song' first appeared on 20 February 1877. read more: buff.ly/3k9gzfZ #OnThisDay #RLStevenson

Despite its tremendous success, To Kill a Mockingbird was Harper Lee’s only published novel during her lifetime. What did she say about Jane Austen? read more: buff.ly/3lHhOU7 #OnThisDay

Who was Giosuè Carducci? Well, he did win a Nobel Prize for Literature. read more: buff.ly/40ViyoQ #OnThisDay #NobelPrize

Melbourne friends: I'll be in your lovely city next week. Would you like to join me to view some stunnnig jewellery and hear about the eccentric and fabulous Duchess of Cavandish, Debo Mitford? Do come along on Thursday 23 February. You can book here: buff.ly/3RX46Zn

Fyodor Dostoevsky apparently wrote an entire novel in 26 days. How did he do it? Dostoyevsky married for the 2nd time on 15 February 1867. buff.ly/3IhtYfo #OnThisDay #dostoyevsky

Opening night was glittering. The audience wore evening dress. As the curtain fell, the author was greeted with a standing ovation. The evening was a triumph. Outside another drama was unfolding ... more buff.ly/3jTdoJm #OnThisDay #theimportanceofbeingearnest #oscarwilde

A short poem entitled “Teddy Bear” was published in Punch magazine on 13 February 1924. Do you recognise this bear? more: buff.ly/3IzbGqw #OnThisDay #AAMilne #WinnieThePooh

I was most interested to read Ben Macintyre’s new book Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle, published last year. Macintyre tells a gripping story and I strongly recommend this fascinating read. read more: buff.ly/3Yys2Ey #bookaddict #benmacintyre #colditz

Dante Gabriel Rosetti's odd and complex poem, The Woodspurge, is hard to fathom. As with so many of his poems, it is linked to his own romantic relationship - he felt that limiting himself to one woman might inhibit his artistic expression. read it here: buff.ly/3lsdd8p

What do the writings of three of the greatest minds the world has ever seen – Aristotle, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens have in common? They were all banned. read more: buff.ly/3Ydwvfz #OnThisDay

On 10 February 1914 English poet, Thomas Hardy married for the second time - to a woman 39 years younger than him. She cared for him while he wrote his best love poems during these years. It's a pity they weren't for her. buff.ly/3lfIgUA #OnThisDay #ThomasHardy

Remember the movie, 'The Color Purple' back in 1985? The film was nominated for 11 Oscars, but it did not win any. However, it did receive several other awards and nominations. Alice Walker was born on 9 February 1944. buff.ly/3DRzCly #OnThisDay #thecolorpurple

In a childhood marked by strict parenting and religious devotion, young John Ruskin had to read the King James Bible from beginning to end. He was born on 8 February 1819. read more: buff.ly/3YAAW4g #OnThisDay #johnruskin #victorianera