Cardiff BookTalk: Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse

The complexities of marriage and familial relationships are explored in Virginia Woolf’s brilliant stream of consciousness novel.

While vacationing on the Isle of Skye, the youngest of the Ramsay children, James, eagerly anticipates a visit to a lighthouse, however, Mr. Ramsay believes the weather will not be fair enough to allow for the excursion, and his dismissal of James’s excitement creates tension with Mrs. Ramsay. Ten years later, and after the end of the First World War, when the Ramsays return to the Isle of Sky and complete their abandoned outing, James and his father experience a rare—and possibly fleeting—moment of reconciliation.

Guiding us in our discussion of To The Lighthouse, we are pleased to welcome Jess Cotton (Cardiff University), Jane Goldman (Glasgow University) and Elizabeth Outka (University of Richmond).

Jane Goldman will be speaking about ‘Passing the time with ‘Time Passes’: things to do while reading To the Lighthouse’ and Elizabeth Outka will be presenting a talk on ‘Pandemic Time: Reading To the Lighthouse through a Pandemic Lens’. Jess Cotton will be introducing Woolf’s novel and chairing the discussion. She and the panellists will also be answering questions from the audience via Zoom.

This event originally took place on 2 June 2021.