The Hand of Ethelberta Study Day

Saturday 11th April 2026
Starts 10:00 until 16:00
The Town Hall, The Corn Exchange, High East Street, Dorchester, DT1 1HF

The Hand of Ethelberta Study Day

Date: Saturday, 11th April 2026

Time: 10am to 4pm

Cost: £35 THS Members / £50 Non-Members

Venue: The Town Hall, The Corn Exchange, Dorchester

The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters is the fifth published novel by English author Thomas Hardy, published in 1876 and The Thomas Hardy Society will mark the occasion with a special Study Day, exploring the theme and other elements of the book

Subtitled "A Comedy in Chapters," this novel is unusual for Hardy's work, which is typically known for its tragic elements. Hardy intended it as a satire of popular romances and the literary world. It was serialized in the Cornhill Magazine and the New York Times from the summer of 1875 to the spring of 1876 and published in book form in 1876.

The story follows Ethelberta, a butler's daughter who uses her education as a governess to reinvent herself as a society poet in London to support her family secretly. She navigates the attentions of four suitors while trying to maintain her independence and social status.

Contemporary reviews were largely negative, and some critics considered it his "poorest book". Hardy felt it was misunderstood, suggesting it was ahead of its time.

ITINERARY

10:00 Registration and Welcome

10:15 Introduction by THS Chair, Mark Damon Chutter

11:00 The New Hardy Players - HoE Script read through

12:00 Keynote Speaker: Professor Angelique Richardson

13:00 Lunch Break

14:00 Lecture: Alban O'Brien

15:00 Plenary Discussion

15:30 Harp Recital (TBC)

16:00 Close