‘Ruth from Fact to Fiction’ with Livi Michael

Ruth from Fact to Fiction tells the story of Elizabeth Gaskell’s involvement with a young prostitute in Manchester’s New Bailey prison and the novel she wrote based on this encounter. Discover why Ruth was considered so controversial that it was burned on the steps of the Cross St Chapel in Manchester...

Livi Michael has written award-winning novels for adults, young adults and children. Her short stories have been published in various places including Granta and Fictive Dream, and in The Best British Short Stories (Salt, 2026). Her play, Singers Not Sinners, is about the first three women who were allowed to sing in a choir, and was performed in Oldham in 2022. Livi has taught creative writing in various universities and was Programme Leader of the MA in Publishing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She runs a podcast about short stories with the writer and translator Sonya Moor. Elizabeth and Ruth is her 21st book.

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