Mapping the Gothic: Venice, Asylums, and the Victorian Imagination
Tue 30 Jun
|Dr Johnson's House
Step behind the scenes of Ravenscourt, Dr Samantha Ward-Smith's Victorial novel, and discover the rich research that shaped its world.
Time & Location
30 Jun 2026, 12:30 – 13:45
Dr Johnson's House, 17 Gough Square, London EC4A 3DE, UK
About the event
Step behind the scenes of Ravenscourt, Dr Samantha Ward-Smith's Victorial novel, and discover the rich research that shaped its world.
From the crumbling palazzi and masked intrigues of Venice’s Carnival to the rigid hierarchies and hidden scandals of 1880s London society, this talk explores how history, place, and literature converge to create Gothic atmosphere.
Dr Ward-Smith will trace the influence of Gothic fiction’s great archetypes—the haunted house, the madwoman in the attic, the lurking threat of confinement—while uncovering the real histories that informed them: women’s rights struggles in the 1880s, the lingering shadows of slavery, and the treatment of mental illness within the Victorian asylum system. She will also reveal the inspiration behind the house at the heart of Ravenscourt, whose architecture and secrets mirror the anxieties of the age.
Dr Samantha Ward-Smith
Samantha Ward-Smith is the author of Tower of Vengeance, her debut historical novel set in the Tower of London during the 13th century. Her second novel Ravenscourt, is a Victorian Gothic tale unfolding across Venice, London, and the windswept Lancashire moors. She lived in London for over three decades, building a career in investment banking while also pursuing a PhD in English at Birkbeck. For the past 13 years she has volunteered at the Tower of London, an experience that provided invaluable historical insight and directly shaped her writing. Now based in Kent by the sea, Samantha continues to explore the intersections of history, place, and story, writing in the company of her two cats, Belle and Rudy.
Your ticket includes the opportunity to look around Dr Johnson's House as well as a complimentary lunch from local business Dilieto on Fleet Street.
A sandwich lunch (meat, fish, vegetarian, vegan) along with fresh cut fruits, and bottled water will be served at this event. Please be advised that we are unable to guarantee that the food provided is free from allergens.