Vathek and William Beckford

What position did William Beckford occupy in the development of Gothic Fiction? Why did Beckford write Vathek, what were the influences that were important to him during this period in his life and what was the impact of the book at the time of its publication as well as its legacy today?
These questions and more - including the Beckford family's connection with the Atlantic slave trade, are explored in this talk by Dr. Amy Frost.
This is a recording of a talk given as part of BRLSI's 'Bath's Gothic Fiction' conference on October 22nd 2022.
Dr. Amy Frost
An architectural historian specialising in British architecture of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. She is a leading expert on the life and aesthetics of the British collector, writer, and owner of enslaved people, William Beckford (1760-1844). She sits on the committee of the International Beckford Society.

[@PhilipProctor-z4v]

Great to listen to a speaker who gets her facts and dates correct!

[@PhilipProctor-z4v]

We need Stephen Fry to read Vathek! He would bring out the humour in the story so well.

[@PhilipProctor-z4v]

Vast? It is a five-bedroom house for the family.....