2025 Resources

A brief introduction to kick off this year’s Winter Summit! We’ll highlight what’s new and walk you through the flow of our streamlined one-day format, so you’ll know exactly what to expect.

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Anne Lister’s Study of Geology

With Stephanie Sobczak

Among Anne Lister’s many interests is Geology. Her diary entries and lecture notes reveal a deep appreciation for learning about this topic and acquiring minerals, as she actively sought these out from local specimen purveyors. This passion laid the groundwork for practical applications later in her life. In this session, we will explore the understanding of geology in the early 19th century and the social and economic factors that contributed to a "golden age" of emerging geological knowledge.

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Content warning: sexual content, violence

Reading for Pleasure: Sexuality, Morality, and the Erotic Literature of Anne Lister

With Deborah Kamen, Jann Kraus, and Sarah Wingrove

Facilitated by Steph Gallaway

Deborah Kamen, Jann Kraus, and Sarah Wingrove discuss how erotic literature informed Lister’s self-conception, serving as a tool for connection, flirtation, and the validation of her desires, while helping her navigate, express, and legitimize her sense of self.

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Searching For Ann 2025

With Diane Halford

This session features updates on recent discoveries from the In Search of Ann Walker research collective, including insights into ongoing research, and developments in sharing Ann Walker's story with the world.

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Chat transcript

Content warning: death, dying, childhood deaths, stillbirth

Forever Young: The Siblings Who Didn't Grow Old

With Lynn Shouls and Marlene Oliveira

Anne Lister and her sister Marian lived into middle and old age, respectively. But what do we know about their five siblings? In this session, we will look at each of the Lister children, explore their lives—some of which were short and others a bit longer—and discuss what happened to them.

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Summer

Session recordings and references

Follow @packedwithpotential on Instagram or Bluesky for updates.

Exploring Anne Lister's Life Through State Records

With Victoria Iglikowski-Broad from The National Archives

Join us for a journey through The National Archives' records about Anne Lister and her lovers. While Lister’s captivating coded diaries understandably often steal the spotlight, this session will showcase less well-known collections in government archives that help us illuminate the lives of Lister, Eliza Raine, Ann Walker, and the Lister family. Explore how legal, life and personal records can support these fragmented histories and reveal new insights into these extraordinary figures.

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Anne Lister and Women’s Access to Anatomical Knowledge in Nineteenth-Century England and France

With Zoe Copeman

The presentation investigates the level of access women had to scientific medical knowledge generally thought reserved for men in the 19th century. Discussing diseases with physicians, checking out surgical tracts from libraries, even dissecting human corpses, Anne Lister demonstrates that women could access similar information as men. However, the misinterpretations that even Lister made while engaging with erudite material exhibits how women were not given the tools to understand anatomy fully.

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Dawdling & Fiddle-Faddle

With Natalie Hungate

Think you know Anne Lister? Join us for a lighthearted quiz and put that to the test! Come for the trivia, stay for the camaraderie. No prep required, just bring your curiosity and competitive spirit!

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Burying the Listers of Shibden Hall (1826-1841)

With Marlene Oliveira

Between 1826 and 1841, several members of the Lister family were buried at the family vault in the Halifax Parish Church, now known as Halifax Minster. Their funerals followed many of the conventions of their time, but how different were funeral customs in the 19th century? How was Anne Lister involved in planning these funerals? And what did Anne’s funeral look like?

Join Marlene on this in-depth look at the ins and outs of Lister funerals!

Content warning: death, dying, decomposition

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Autumn

TBD

Cover photo: View of the valley to the West from the descent of the Grand Col Ferret towards the Elena refuge by Nicolas Vincent