A Guide to specialist societies.

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FEBRUARY 2011 : HERO SOCIETIES

This page was once reproduced in full inside each issue of THE OSCHOLARS, but the development of our website made this unnecessary, and to some extent undesirable. It then featured as a free standing page, regularly updated, with the addition of new Societies from time to time. In August 2010 we divided the page into two, one for hero societies, the other for subject societies. These are published in alternate months., and four new societies will be added until the supply runs out

The development of our website also led to our relocating our links to many Societies. These can be reached by clicking the icons below.

Oscar Wilde Societies - ‘Never Speaking Disrespectfully’

Theatre Societies (including societies devoted to playwrights and actors)

Shaw Societies, in our Shavings supplement.

Ruskin Societies, in our Ruskin publication, The Eighth Lamp, edited by Dr Anuradha Chatterjee.

Fine Arts Societies have been transferred to our VISIONS journal, where they are edited by Dr Nicola Gauld.

French Societies will appear here from time to time, but in general are more likely to be covered in the webpages of Rue des beaux arts under Links or Liaisons.

Music Societies are beginning to be listed on our page MAD, SCARLET MUSIC.

Further research may be undertaken on our page devoted to SHRINES. Coverage of journals published by societies is carried on our page THE RACK & THE PRESS, edited by Professor B.J. Robinson.

Ø An International Society for Fin-de-siècle Studies, pluridisciplinary and cosmopolitan, is in the process of being created, with a current membership of 254. For more information, please write to David Charles Rose at finsiec@gmail.com.

For the Table of Contents, click   | To hub page | To THE OSCHOLARS home page

Table of Contents
Click to see the entry; then on the Society’s colophon or banner to reach its website.
HERO SOCIETIES
Société des Amis de J.M. Barrie		The Jack London Society
The Arnold Bennett Society		The Arthur Machen Society
The E.F. Benson Society		The George MacDonald Society
The Friends of Borges		The Katherine Mansfield Society
The Edward Carpenter Forum		The Octave Mirbeau Society
The [G.K.] Chesterton Society		The William Morris Society
The Kate Chopin International Society		The William Morris Society of Canada
The Joseph Conrad Society (UK)		The William Morris Society of the U.S.A
The Louis Couperus Society		The Arthur Morrison Society
The Stephen Crane Society		The Friedrich Nietzsche Society
The Michael Field Society		International Walter Pater Society
The Ford Madox Ford Society		The Society for Pirandello Studies
The Kenneth Grahame Society		Marcel Proust Vereniging / Association Néerlandaise Marcel Proust
The Rider Haggard Society		The Proust Society of America
The Thomas Hardy Association		The Robert Louis Stevenson Club & Society
The Thomas Hardy Society		The H.G. Wells Society
The Heron-Allen Society		The Edith Wharton Society
The A.E. Housman Society		The Yeats Society
The J.-K. Huysmans Society		The Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship
The Henry James Society		The Emile Zola Society
The Jerome K. Jerome Society		The Équipe Zola
The Alliance of Literary Societies		The American Literary Association

Société des Amis de J.M. Barrie

Ce site a été créé en vue de promouvoir et d’informer de l’existence de la première Société française qui rassemble les lecteurs de James Matthew Barrie, auteur Scots - père entre autres de Peter Pan -, trop méconnu en France. Cette nouvelle “maison” barrienne est mitoyenne de celle-ci (notre site internet, fondé en 2006 et toujours en construction, sans oublier le forum français qui lui est attenant).

· The website of this Society is still (November 2010) being built, but contains enough information for further inquiry. It is the creation of Mme Céline-Albin Faivre.

THE ARNOLD BENNETT SOCIETY

The present Arnold Bennett Society was re-formed in 1954 and has members throughout the United Kingdom as well as abroad. It is based in the City of Stoke on Trent, the ‘Five Towns’ of Bennett. The Society's aim is to promote the study and appreciation of the life, works and times, not only of Arnold Bennett himself, but also of other provincial writers, with particular relationship to North Staffordshire.

THE E.F. BENSON SOCIETY

The aims of the E. F. Benson Society are :-‘The furtherance of the knowledge and appreciation of the Benson Family and in particular E. F. Benson, and to provide an opportunity for Benson enthusiasts to meet.’ To this end the Secretary in conjunction with the Executive Committee organises at least one literary event annually to bring members together for a talk on some aspect of E. F. Benson's life and work. We have an annual meeting in Rye (E F Benson's Tilling) each July and also aim to organise outings to other places of Benson interest and from time to time events which relate to other members of the Benson Family.

The Society was formed in 1984 events have included visits to Wellington College, Marlborough College, Cambridge University, Tremens (2001). The Society has also mounted exhibitions on the life and works of E. F. Benson. In 1990, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of E. F. Benson's death, the Society held a reception at Lambeth Palace followed by a Memorial service at the Church of St Mary the Virgin at Rye. The Society also produces its Journal ‘The DODO’ each year as well as a variety of other publications.

THE FRIENDS OF JORGE LUIS BORGES WORLDWIDE SOCIETY

Borges, not a man of the nineteenth century, earns his place on this page because of his devotion to Oscar Wilde. In Paris, he used to stay at L’Hôtel, and the plaque commemorating Oscar Wilde on the façade is matched by one commemorating Borges. According to its website the Society was born on 24th August 2000 out of a longstanding aspiration of a grateful reader: to reunite all readers who acknowledge an intellectual affiliation with the works Jorge Luis Borges and may desire to share with others the civilizing gifts of Poetry, Philosophy and the Arts. The website has been updated recently.

‘With this declaration of principle in mind, our programs want to encourage the study of Borges, to stimulating thus the personal education of each reader, developing the intellectual faculties and creative talents. In that way, we would like to support the acquisition of Socratic virtues, which Borges held as ethical ideal, in order to educate citizens as responsible actors of their everyday action in the world.

‘We aim in particular to support younger generations because among their possibilities is to build a better future for mankind.’

The Society issues an e-newsletter in Spanish, English and French, and this can be reached via their website, but the last issue mentioned is still that for October 2005. Click the Borges Labyrinth logo.

THE EDWARD CARPENTER FORUM

Not exactly a Society, but an on-line association with free membership, set up in 2007. The Edward Carpenter Forum is dedicated to the exploration of the life, ideas, and work of the pioneering thinker, activist and visionary Edward Carpenter and his circle. It seeks to create connections and facilitate discussion among Edward Carpenter enthusiasts; increase public awareness and knowledge about Carpenter. The website (click the image) was completely updated in August 2010.

THE CHESTERTON SOCIETY

The Chesterton Society was founded in England in 1974, the centenary of the birth of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, to promote the understanding of his stature and continuing relevance.

Its website is part of that continuing effort; it is at present in a basic and minimal form, and we hope to develop it in the future

For the present, it gives details of how to join the society, of our most recent major event (a one-day conference on a little understood subject, ‘The Holiness of G.K. Chesterton’), and an introductory anthology of Chesterton’s works, which we hope will give some idea of the range and power of one of the great minds of the twentieth century.

The Chesterton Society must be distinguished from the Catholic G.K. Chesterton Society. The website of the latter proclaims that ‘The most important thing about the Catholic G.K. Chesterton Society is that it is not. It is not a society but merely a website to promote prayer to the said G.K. Chesterton’.

THE KATE CHOPIN INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY

The mission of The Kate Chopin International Society is to provide a network and forum for the study of American author Kate Chopin (1850-1904). The society encourages and supports scholarship and activities that illuminate Chopin’s contribution to the American literary tradition, and it seeks to preserve her literary significance for future generations. The Society was formed in 2004 by Heather Ostman and Avis Hewitt, both English professors at American universities, after the convention of the American Literature Association, an organization made up of scholarly societies devoted to the study of American authors. Most better-known American authors have a society of their own, and Heather and Avis thought Kate Chopin deserved a scholarly society focused on her work, even though the Kate Chopin Society of North America, with a different emphasis, already existed in St. Louis. Membership is free. The website is regularly expanded and updated and contains much useful information.

THE JOSEPH CONRAD SOCIETY (UK)

The Society's mission is to offer scholars, advanced students, and persons interested in the work and life of Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of this writer of worldwide reputation.

Established in 1973, and a registered charity in the United Kingdom under the terms of the Charity Act of 1990, the Joseph Conrad Society (UK) provides a medium of communication for Conrad scholars throughout the world.

Through its activities the Society expands the possibilities for Conrad studies through an annual conference, support for scholarship, and The Conradian:

The very full website was last updated on 1st January 2011.

THE LOUIS COUPERUS SOCIETY

The Louis Couperus Genootschap is the biggest literary society in The Netherlands.

Couperus, who firmly believed in reincarnation, was convinced he had been an ancient Roman in a previous life. His best work in this respect, The Mountain of Light, on the rise and fall of the deified emperor Heliogabalus, became very popular in Germany. On the whole one can say that his psychological novels had more success in England and the USA, whereas his historical works were more appreciated by the German speaking public. Only a few of his books have been translated into French; a new English translation by Paul Vincent of Inevitable has recently been published by Pushkin Press. 320pp. ISBN 1 90128 559 6. £8.99.

The Society’s website is constantly extended. Click Couperus’ portrait to reach it.

Arabesken

The 35th issue of The Society’s journal, Arabesken, was published in May 2010. This can be reached by clicking the right hand picture below, and following the link in the menu you will find there.

THE STEPHEN CRANE SOCIETY

Founded by the Crane scholar Paul Sorrentino in 1990, the Stephen Crane Society is devoted to research on and discussion about the author. The society grew out of a Crane conference sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and held in Blacksburg in 1989. The society is officially associated with the American Literature Association (ALA) and holds its annual meeting, sponsors panels, and elects its officers at the ALA conference in late May/early June of each year. Its international membership includes specialists and non-specialists.

The society sponsors Stephen Crane Studies, a journal of notes, queries, hamberaphical material, and reviews. The journal is published semi-annually in the spring and fall; the most recent issue with its Table of Contents on line is Volume 18, Number 2 (Fall 2009). Since 1992 it has been published at by the Department of English, Virginia Tech. Manuscripts should follow the MLA Style Manual. Annual subscriptions are $10 for individuals and $20 for institutions; foreign subscriptions are $12 and $22. Checks should be made payable to the Stephen Crane Society.

Address all correspondence regarding subscriptions and manuscript submission to Paul Sorrentino, Editor, Stephen Crane Studies, Department of English, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0112. @

The Society’s admirably organised website, which contains much material devoted to Crane, can be reached by clicking the banner. It was last updated on the 27th August 2010.

THE MICHAEL FIELD SOCIETY

We are very happy to report the foundation of this Society, concerned with a writer (that is to say, two writers) at the heart of our endeavour, and forming a connecting thread between Oscar Wilde and Vernon Lee. Once only the concern of a few specialists, ‘Michael Field’ studies have developed significantly in recent years.

So far, efforts have been directed to founding an annual journal. The Michaelian, under the editorship of Sharon Bickle and Michelle Lee is being developed, and the first issue is now on line. The Society does not currently maintain a website, but further information will be found through The Michaelian.

THE FORD MADOX FORD SOCIETY

This international society was founded in 1997 to promote knowledge of and interest in Ford Madox Ford’s works and life. Ford, who disliked Wilde, is the link between Wilde and Violet Hunt.

The Society aims to organise at least two events each year, and to publish on-line one or two Newsletters. The latest downloadable Newsletter is (at 24th September 2010) no. 16 (March 2010).

THE KENNETH GRAHAME SOCIETY

For those who detect something of Oscar Wilde in Mr Toad (as did Peter Parker in the TLS 26th June 2009 no 5543 p.11) ... the Kenneth Grahame Society is for readers, literature students, potential sequel writers, illustrators and everyone else who appreciates the works of Kenneth Grahame. Membership is free and members from all over the world are welcome to join.

The aims of the Kenneth Grahame Society are:

– To encourage scholarly study and discussion of the works of Kenneth Grahame – To actively promote an expanded universe around The Wind in the Willows – To be a comprehensive and accurate resource (Body of Knowledge) on the life and works of Kenneth Grahame.

The society is primarily an online society with two main areas:

Webpages

The webpages are the main resource. These cover the biography, writings and locations associated with Kenneth Grahame, an expanded The Wind in the Willows universe of sequels, illustrations and films, and a study section. There are over 100 webpages at the moment, but material for at least 100 more is in the pipeline. The somewhat static Home Page has been partly redesigned to include subsections for news, events and details of publications. It is planned that this page will be updated frequently. If anyone has any relevant news, details of events, publications, and so forth, please email it to us at admin@kennethgrahamesociety.net.

Discussion Forum

Unlike traditional literary societies there are no current plans for members to meet regularly to hold society meetings. As an alternative to physically meeting there was a discussion forum where members can post comments and conduct discussions at any time. It existed for about two years, and it had some interesting discussions and information. However, it was only used by a very small minority of the membership, and it often remained dormant for months at a time. At the 2009 AGM in Oxford it was agreed that the Forum, in such a dormant state, was no great credit to the name of Kenneth Grahame, and the decision to close it was approved. We would like to thank everyone who contributed postings to it over the years. All the information on it has been saved, and some of that will be repackaged and placed on the main website during forthcoming updates to the website.

THE RIDER HAGGARD SOCIETY

The Rider Haggard Society was formed in 1987 by a few fans of Rider Haggard's stories. The Society now contains members from Europe, United States, South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka, and those from all walks of life, covering a wide age-span: the main qualification is a genuine interest in Haggard and his works.

Four times a year a Journal is issued which looks at a major title as well as including recent publications and items of news. See below for contents listing of past issues.

About every twelve or eighteen months a general meeting is held where members meet to buy and sell books, chat, listen to presentations or talks, which nearly always reveal something new about Rider Haggard and his works. In the evening a society dinner is held. Meetings have been predominantly in the Norfolk and Suffolk areas near Ditchingham, Kessingland and Bradenham. Past meetings have also been held in Lancashire, Whitley Bay, Garsington and Burwash. These meetings are always eagerly looked to and enjoyed immensely by members.

THE THOMAS HARDY ASSOCIATION

The Thomas Hardy Association was founded in 1997 to promote the study and appreciation of Hardy's work in every corner of the world. Both its organising principle and its membership reflect this global character. TTHA is governed by an international team of scholars. All are members of its Council of Honorary VPs and Board of Directors. Together they maintain a website with over two dozen different departments focusing on Hardy's life and work while also providing numerous links to Hardy-related websites on the internet.

The Association’s own website is very elaborate. Click the colophon.

· The Thomas Hardy Association Poem of the Month for November 2010, "A Night of Questionings", was posted to the POTM Mailing-List on 1st November. Poetry lovers, who have not already done so, are cordially invited to join this free list ahead of time by going to the Thomas Hardy Association's website at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Click on "Poetry Discussion Group" under the heading "TTHA Special Host Services", and follow the simple instructions for subscribing.

THE THOMAS HARDY SOCIETY

The Thomas Hardy Society’s aim is to promote the British novelist and poet’s works for both education and enjoyment. It is for scholars, students, readers, enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in Thomas Hardy.

The Society began its life in 1968 in Dorchester. Today its two main publications are ‘The Hardy Society Journal’ and ‘The Thomas Hardy Journal’ with academic papers by leading scholars, critical reviews, competitions, comments and news. The Journals are sent free to members.

The Society engages in a range of cultural projects and presents academic and entertaining events. These include the biennial International Conference and Festival and, in each year, a programme of music, lectures, suppers, poetry readings, walks and tours. Its website is informative and up to date.

THE HERON-ALLEN SOCIETY

The Heron-Allen Society was formed at a meeting at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester on 5th June 2000. The objectives of the Society are to study and record all aspects of the life and interests of Edward Heron-Allen, 1861-1943, and to promote his work. Heron-Allen was a friend of Oscar Wilde, and influenced the writing of ‘Lord Arthur Savile's Crime’.

The Society’s Newsletter no.16 was published and distributed in May 2010. Articles include ‘The First Ten Years’ by Ivor Jones; ‘The Inexorable Law’, by Edward Heron-Allen; ‘Foraminifera of Plymouth Sound: The Legacy of Edward Heron-Allen 80 Years on’ by Malcom Hart and ‘The Purple Sapphire on Film’ by Ivor Jones and John E Whittaker, and there is a report on the annual Heron-Allen Lecture at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford by Juliet Field.

There is no logo or banner to reproduce here, but much information is on the Society’s website.

THE HOUSMAN SOCIETY

This was founded in 1973 and exists to promote knowledge and appreciation of the lives and works of A.E. Housman and other members of his family. The Society also promotes the causes of literature and poetry in general. It produces an annual Journal (index on line – click their logotype below), organises discussions, visits and poetry readings. Commemorations are held in Bromsgrove on 26th March (A.E. Housman’s birthday) and in Ludlow on the last Saturday in April. It sponsors an annual lecture under the title ‘The Name and Nature of Poetry’ at the Hay Festival of Literature in May/June each year. Further information about the Society and books and merchandise is available from The Housman Society at 80 New Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs B60 2LA, England. Email: @

The programme announced for 2011 may be found on the Society’s website:

THE JORIS-KARL HUYSMANS SOCIETY / LA SOCIÉTÉ J.-K. HUYSMANS

The Society was founded in 1927 by Huysmans’ friend Lucien Descaves, and to-day has 236 members, including 62 institutional members. Annual bulletins are published, of which the latest (2008) is no. 101. 102 was expected before the end of 2009, but is not yet announced, and all reference to the bulletins save a Call for Articles has been removed from the website (24.x.2010).

The Society maintains an informative and up-to-date website, recently much augmented, and reached by clicking below.

Ø More information about Huysmans can be found on the excellent English website of Mr Brendan King.

THE HENRY JAMES SOCIETY

From their website:

Our mission is to offer Henry James scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of the life and works of the author. A non-profit educational organization, the Henry James Society provides a medium of communication for Henry James scholars and expands the possibilities for Henry James studies through annual meetings, special symposiums, and The Henry James Review.

The Society’s website can be found by clicking the banner. Much extended, it was last updated 18th September 2010. For Henry James studies on the web, the reader is also referred to the elaborate http://www2.newpaltz.edu/~hathaway/ , the creation of Richard D. Hathaway, Professor Emeritus of English, SUNY New Paltz, and to Mr Adrian Dover’s The Ladder : a Henry James website at http://www.henryjames.org.uk/. This continues to develop new texts and new services.

The Jerome K Jerome Society

‘This site contains information and resources that can't be found elsewhere; resources that have been lovingly compiled by society members. Please do join up to receive a biannual Society newsletter and access to various members-only resources.’

THE JACK LONDON SOCIETY

The Jack London Society, Inc., an international non-profit organization that promotes study of the life and work of Jack London, was founded in 1990 as an author society affiliated with the American Literature Association. It numbers over 200 members and continues to grow each year. Membership is open to anyone interested in London.

The Society publishes a biannual magazine, The Call, which features short articles, announcements, news about member activities, book collecting information, photographs, notices of recent publications, reviews, and research notes. It is indexed by the Library of Congress and mailed out in late winter and late summer each year. Kenneth Brandt, Savannah College of Design, serves as editor of The Call. For more information on submissions, contact him by e-mail.

Beginning in 1992, the Society has held biennial Symposia: in Sonoma, California (1992); the Huntington Library in San Marino, California (1994, 1998); Santa Rosa, California (1996, 2000, 2004), Lihue, Hawaii (2002), and Alaska (2006). The Symposia offer formal papers, workshops, films, and plenary speakers, as well as informal excursions and social events. Speakers include leading London scholars from major universities as well as presentations designed for high school instructors and interested readers. The Symposia are known for their combination of outstanding scholarly presentations and relaxed pace.

The Society’s website (last update 27th January 2009) may be found by clicking the banner, with more information given on the Jack London Online Collection, maintained by Roy Tennant and Dr. Clarice Stasz, and sponsored by the Sonoma State University Library
(last update 3rd July 2009).

For the Symposium held in Santa Rosa, California, 4th-6th November 2010, and featuring events on the Jack London Ranch in Glen Ellen, go to 2010 Biennial Symposium.

THE ARTHUR MACHEN SOCIETY

‘…Machen’s dismissal from the London Evening News in 1921 was not solely due to the libelling of Lord Alfred Douglas in the premature obituary: the malaise, said Machen, had set in some time before. Machen told John Gawsworth why he believed he was not invited to contribute to The Yellow Book, the famous Nineties periodical: he had expressed enthusiasm for the Sherlock Holmes stories to the editor Henry Harland and felt this counted against him…’

‘The Friends of Arthur Machen is a fellowship which exists to foster interest in Machen and his work, to aid research, and for the pleasure of its members. The Friends of Arthur Machen grew out of the remains of the British Arthur Machen Society, which was originally formed in the 1980s. The current membership of the Friends is very diverse, reflecting the very diverse currents which have drawn it together. Interest in mysticism, in the occult, in both paganism and Christianity, in the decadence of the 1890s, in the landscapes of Gwent, not to mention love of good reading and good living, are all very variously represented: in fact all that really unites the membership is admiration for a writer who has qualities not found elsewhere.’

The Society publishes Faunus, the literary journal of the Friends, which has appeared twice yearly since the inauguration of The Friends. Contents are both articles of interest to admirers of Machen and examples of his work, often articles and pieces not easily available in any other form. Machenalia, the Friends’ newsletter, is more informal, less literary in tone and style. It deals with items of topical interest, about Machen, and about the Friends. It too appears twice yearly.

Officially connected with the Society is an active Arthur Machen discussion and announcements forum, with 190 subscribers. The Society’s website, which is kept more or less up to date, can also be reached by clicking the banner:

THE GEORGE MACDONALD SOCIETY

From their website:

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was one of the most original of nineteenth century thinkers. His writing and lecturing brought him wide recognition in his own day, and into the company of many of the leading Victorians of the time.

MacDonald’s writing has an outstanding imaginative power, largely influenced by the German and English Romantics. It is in the realms of fantasy and children’s literature, along with his visionary theology, that has made his greatest contribution.

The importance of George MacDonald’s work is being rediscovered and the Society works to further this interest. Formed in 1981, it publishes an annual journal, North Wind, which carries articles related to his life and work, reviews of new books, and other publications relevant to MacDonald Studies. For back copies of North Wind, please write to Mrs. Rachel Johnson, 18 Tappenhall Road, Fernhill Heath, Worcester, WR3 7TR, England – see our page THE RACK & THE PRESS for news of new issues.

A quarterly newsletter, Orts, is also produced to provide news of events, meetings, lectures, or visits and any other information of interest to members: we do not know when the last one appeared.

A research collection of works on and by MacDonald has been established at King’s College, London, where he taught at one time, and is available to anyone wishing to use it.

That there are affinities here with Oscar Wilde is apparent; if they have ever been explored, we have yet to learn of it. The Society has a new committee, and its home page has been transformed and can be reached by clicking on the colophon.

The Katherine mansfield society

The Katherine Mansfield Society is a charitable entity registered in New Zealand. Formed in December 2008, following the successful Katherine Mansfield Conference in London in September that year, this international organisation has been set up to promote and encourage the worldwide study and enjoyment of Katherine Mansfield’s writing. It is a forum for the exchange of information and for research collaboration, but as a member there are a wide range of additional benefits.

As a member, you will receive: 3 newsletters a year, packed with information on Mansfield and KMS activity – A free copy of the annual Journal of Katherine Mansfield Studies – Regular email news alerts – Discounted rates for the biennial KM conference, and all other KMS events – Access to Mansfield scholars worldwide – Notice of new publications. You will also be supporting: The development and maintenance of the most comprehensive Katherine Mansfield website, including a comprehensive KM time line, all extant KM photographs and artistic representations, and all KM stories – The pursuit of strategies to ensure KM is on school and university curricula – A biennial Katherine Mansfield Literary Scholarship, giving the opportunity for an outstanding scholar to pursue Mansfield and modernist research – A Mansfield memorial in her home town of Wellington, New Zealand – The preservation and recognition of one of the world’s leading modernist writers whose influence is still felt by contemporary writers and readers.

SOCIÉTÉ OCTAVE MIRBEAU

Founded in Angers on 28th November 1993 and chaired by Dr Pierre Michel, Mirbeau’s editor and biographer, the aim of the Octave Mirbeau Society is to contribute by all the means at its disposal to the knowledge of the life, struggles and work of this great Norman writer (1848-1917). Its principal publication is the annual Cahiers Octave Mirbeau. Mirbeau both defended Wilde, and satirised him in the Journal d’une femme de chambre.

The Society maintains an elaborate multi-lingual website, recently redesigned, with all membership details and much information about Mirbeau.

The most recent Cahier is no 15, and its Table of Contents is on the Society’s website (click below).

THE WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY

Founded in London in 1955, the Society aims to make the life and work of Morris and his associates better known. Its programmes–which involve affiliated groups in Canada and the United States–include lectures, conferences, tours, museum visits, and social gatherings. A Newsletter is published quarterly (two issues with U.S. supplements) and there is a biannual Journal: both free to members. The Society publishes an array of books and pamphlets dealing with Morris. One of the Morris Society’s next big projects will be the Morris Online Edition. It is hoped to reproduce and create scholarly editions of nearly all of Morris’s writings and make them available to the public for free. Watch http://www.morrisedition.org/ for new developments. This is still in the planning phases.

The website has the following pages:

New in the William Morris Society: Conferences, exhibitions, lectures, and social gatherings in the UK, US, and Canada related to William Morris and his circle.

Current US Newsletter: get involved with your Society.

About the William Morris Society: Society bylaws, history, and membership directory.

The Journal of William Morris Studies: The scholarly organ of the Society since 1961.

The Life and Work of William Morris: Examples of and links to Morris’s writings, poetry, and designs.

The Worldwide Morris: Morris in English, Español, Català, Português, Magyar, Dutch, Dansk, Polska, Cesky, Svenska, Deutsch, & Français.

Society Archive: Worldwide announcements (1996 – present) and US newsletters (1988 – present).

Links to Related Sites: Arts & Crafts • Printing & book arts • Products & services • Victorian links

The Journal of William Morris Studies (formerly the Journal of the William Morris Society) is edited by Dr Patrick O’Sullivan (of the University of Plymouth) who has taken over from Dr. Rosie Miles. The Editor (JWMS, Kelmscott House, 26 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London, W6 9TA, England) welcomes inquiries: the e-mail address can be activated by clicking on the image below. The Journal (ISSN: 0084-0254) invites contributions on all subjects relating to William Morris’s life and works and his varied circles of influence.

On the web site are announced items of interest to scholars, researchers, and everyone interested in William Morris, his circle, and the Pre-Raphaelite movement, such as:

News of Morris Society events in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and worldwide.

Events and exhibitions related to the life and works of Morris and his associates.

Calls for papers and essays for conferences and book collections.

Biographical information and examples of Morris’s works in many media.

Books by and about William Morris.

Products and services dealing with William Morris and his circle.

Links to related web resources.

· The Society’s newsletter appears to have been replaced by a blog, News from Anywhere.

The excellent website was last updated on 2nd October 2010.

THE WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY OF CANADA

87 Government Road, Toronto, Ontario, M8X 1W4. Tel. 416-233-7686. E-mail: @

Future events are announced on their website, last updated on 9th August 2010, and these and other information about the Society can be found by clicking the banner.

THE WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

This Society is not currently maintaining its own website. The website of the (English) William Morris Society carries a link to the U.S. Society’s Newsletter (July 2010). The Editor extends an invitation for anyone with Morris-related news, in the broadest possible interpretation, to contact her for inclusion in the next issue. ‘Morris-related’ includes the Pre-Raphaelites, Arts and Crafts, History of the Book, Mediævalism, Eco-Socialism, etc

Also welcome are books for review, news of conferences, book sales, calls for papers, and news of tours.

More from Shannon L. Rogers, Newsletter Editor, William Morris Society in the United States. @

William Morris and the Hammersmith Socialist League

the arthur morrison society

The Arthur Morrison Society is an offspring of the Loughton Festival in the English county of Essex. As with many hero societies, its task is to rescue its subject from undeserved neglect. The Society maintains a website (last updated October 2009), modest but becoming, ‘dedicated to Arthur Morrison (1863 - 1945) who wrote books and collected Japanese prints.’

The Friedrich Nietzsche Society

The Friedrich Nietzsche Society was founded in 1990. Its aim is to promote the study of the life, work and influence of Friedrich Nietzsche. The Society currently has around 200 members in the UK and worldwide, and welcomes new members with an interest in Nietzsche, whether professional or private. The Society's activities are organised around its annual conference, and its members are entitled to subscribe at a substantially reduced rate to the Journal of Nietzsche Studies, which is published twice yearly.

The fee for annual membership of the Society is currently £10/€15/$20 for those in employment, £5/€7.50/$10 for postgraduates and the unwaged.

To join the Friedrich Nietzsche Society, click here.

International Walter Pater Society

This Society is rather secretive about itself, doubtless inspired by the reticence of its eponym. The following is taken from the website of The Pater Newsletter.

In the fall of 1998 the name of the society of subscribers to The Pater Newsletter was changed from The Pater Society of the UK and the USA to the International Walter Pater Society, in recognition of current contributions of European and Japanese scholars to Pater studies. The change of name was introduced in The Pater Newsletter, No. 37. The Pater Society of the UK and the USA had been organized at the Modern Language Association of America Convention in New York City on 28 December 1978. The history behind the formation of this Society and its significance follows. Laurel Brake and Billie Inman had become acquainted in London during the summer of 1977 and had decided to found a newssheet for scholars in Britain and the United States who were interested in Walter Pater, feeling that there was duplication of effort among scholars, internationally, because of lack of communication. Inman would issue News of Pater Scholarship each fall from The University of Arizona; and Brake, each spring from The University College of Wales. At the 1977 MLA Convention, Sharon Bassett, Alana Brown, Billie Inman, and Gerald Monsman got together and decided that a Pater Society should be formed at the 1978 Convention. News of Pater Scholarship, No. 3, which was sent to 110 scholars known to have published writings on Pater, announced the formation of the Society at the 1978 MLA Convention. It was decided at this Convention that the name of the Pater publication would be changed from News of Pater Scholarship to The Pater Newsletter and that all subscribers to the newsletter would be, ipso facto, members of the Society. Officers were elected, and a committee was chosen to write a proposal for a special session at the 1979 MLA Convention in San Francisco. Billie Inman reported in The Pater Newsletter, No.5, that this special session, “Pater and Modernism,” the first to concentrate on Pater, was well attended. The speakers were Richard Bizot, Sharon Bassett, Franklin Court, Wendell Harris, and Francis McGrath. Laurel Brake announced in this number that a conference, “Walter Pater: Research in Progress,” would be held at Brasenose College, Oxford, on July 16-18, 1980, the first International Walter Pater Conference. Since then there have been such conferences sponsored by the Society at Queen’s College, Oxford, 1988; The University of Kent, Canterbury, 1994; West Virginia University, Morgantown, 1996; and Christ Church College, Oxford, 2000.

Correspondence can be addressed to Dr Laurel Brake, Centre for Extramural Studies, Birkbeck College, Russell Square, London, UK WC1B 5DQ, e-mail l.brake@bbk.ac.uk. fax 44 207 631 6688.

SOCIETY FOR PIRANDELLO STUDIES

Formerly the British Pirandello Society, the Society for Pirandello Studies maintains a very minimal web presence. The Tables of Contents of the thirty volumes of the Society’s journal are given, but no details about how to subscribe to either journal or Society.

Marcel Proust Vereniging / Association Néerlandaise Marcel Proust

De Marcel Proust Vereniging – opgericht in 1972 – zet zich al ruim dertig jaar in om het oeuvre van Proust in Nederland grotere bekendheid te geven. Daartoe organiseren wij lezingen, werkmiddagen en leeskringen, en geven wij een tweetalig tijdschrift uit, Marcel Proust Aujourd’hui/Today, alsmede een tweejaarlijks, Nederlandstalig, Bulletin / L´Association Marcel Proust – créée en 1972 – s´occupe de la diffusion de l´œuvre de Proust aux Pays-Bas. Dans ce but, elle organise des réunions et des conférences et publie la revue bilingue Marcel Proust Aujourd´hui/Today (cf. Publications) et un Bulletin bisannuel (en langue néerlandaise).

The proust society of america

The Proust Society of America is a permanent program of The Mercantile Library Center for Fiction. Established in 1997, the Society's mission is to encourage the reading, study and enjoyment of the works of Marcel Proust (1871-1922), whose primary achievement, À la recherche du temps perdu, continues to be considered by most critics as one of the world's great works of fiction, almost a century after its composition was begun. The Society presents several lectures for the public, which are free to Proust members, holds an annual dinner to commemorate Proust's birthday, and sends additional information through its regular e-mail list.

THE ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON CLUB

The RLS Club was formed in 1920 by those who had known Stevenson and who wanted to care for his memory.

The Club’s main objective is ‘to foster interest in Stevenson’s life and works’. Over the years this has been met by the organisation of exhibitions, lectures and readings, the presentation of prizes for literary competitions, and the maintenance of the first Edinburgh museum dedicated to RLS at his birthplace at 8 Howard Place. The fine collection of memorabilia originally displayed there has been transferred to the City of Edinburgh’s Writers’ Museum in the Lawnmarket.

The Club, which has members all over the world, has close links with the RLS Club of Monterey, California, and is twinned with L’Association sur le Chemin de RLS in the Cévennes, France.

The Club badge is based on the palm tree device used on the famous ‘Tusitala’ edition of RLS’s works in 35 volumes published by Heinemann in 1923-4.

The RLS Club is a registered charity in Scotland: SC016582 and is not to be confused with the (American) Robert Louis Stevenson Society, of which more below. The Club’s website apparently has been incorporated into the wider Stevenson website project, now launched, and the logo now links to that.

THE ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON SOCIETY

The Society’s website contained the following statement, but its link was broken when we checked on 15th July 2008 and remained broken, 7th January 2009, nor had it been restored as of 5th July 2009. It was then brought under the ægis of http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/stevenson-societies, but the link given there (http://www.n3carts.org/Stevenson/society.html) was broken when we tried on 1st July 2010 and again on 24th September 2010. It was still broken on 7th November 2010.

The historic Stevenson Society of America was established in 1915 and in 1920 was incorporated as a not-for-profit educational entity and remains so today under the requirements of the New York State Education Department. The Society, which owns and operates the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage and Museum in Saranac Lake, N.Y., has a two-fold purpose: 1) to perpetuate the memory of Robert Louis Stevenson, author, in Saranac Lake by the collection and preservation of records, manuscripts, books and objects pertaining to his life and works. 2) to educate the public about him and provide a research center for scholars which includes documents pertinent to local history. To these ends the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage and Museum is open to visitors daily on a seasonal basis and by appointment year round. The Museum is staffed by knowledgeable volunteers and membership is open to all who are interested in the author and his works and desire to spread his brave philosophy of living.

The H.G. Wells Society

Aims and Functions of the Society

The H.G. Wells Society was founded in 1960. It has an international membership, and aims to promote a widespread interest in the life, work and thought of Herbert George Wells (see ‘Statement of Objects’). It publishes an annual journal, The Wellsian, and issues a biannual newsletter. It has published a comprehensive bibliography of Wells's published works, and other publications, including a number of works by Wells which have been out of print for many years.

Here is a list of H.G. Wells works currently in print (but only updated through February 2005), an important note on Wells and Copyright, and a full bibliography.

The Society organises a weekend conference each year when aspects of Wells's life and work are discussed in a congenial atmosphere. Topics discussed in recent years have included

The Short Stories of H.G. Wells – Publishing and Publicising Wells – Wells's Literary Friendships – The War of the Worlds – Wells and his Critics.

Subscription and other society information is available through the Society’s website, updated 4th November 2010, which can be reached by clicking the colophon.

THE EDITH WHARTON SOCIETY

Firmly grounded in academe, the Edith Wharton Society offers Wharton scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of the life and works of this author. Through annual meetings, sessions, special conferences, and its journal, The Edith Wharton Review, the Society provides a forum for Wharton studies. The current President (2007-2009) is Hildegard Hoeller, CUNY Staten Island; the current Acting Secretary (2007-2009) is Meredith Goldsmith, Ursinus College. Their website is well-stocked with information about the Society, Wharton and Wharton studies. It was last updated on the 4th May (or possibly the 5th April) 2010.

· An article by Dr Ailsa Boyd on ‘“The Decoration of Houses”: The American Homes of Edith Wharton’ appeared in The Journal of the Decorative Arts Society, vol.XXX.

THE YEATS SOCIETY

The Yeats Society was founded in Sligo in 1958 in order to commemorate and honour the memory of W.B. Yeats, and to promote appreciation of his poetry and other writings, and an awareness of the other members of this talented family.

The Society operates from the Yeats Memorial Building in the very centre of Sligo, overlooking the River Garavogue. The building is the administrative centre of the Society and houses the Yeats Exhibition Centre of the Society, The Sligo Art Gallery, and the Yeats River Café.

The Library provides reading and learning space for students who wish to consult its unique collection of books, and to listen to and view the DVD collection of lectures given at Years Summer Schools over more than forty years.

Highlights of the year are undoubtedly the Yeats International Summer School, held each year in the first fortnight of August, and the Yeats Winter School, held over the last weekend of January, but each year sees other specific events, and the office remains busy all year answering queries and keeping in touch with Yeatsian scholars and students from all over the world.

Two discussion groups are worth joining, one official, the other unofficial. These are, respectively, YEATS-DISCUSSION-subscribe@egroups.com and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yeatsian/.

The website, reached by clicking the picture, is packed with information and kept well up to date.

The Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship

The Fellowship maintains a very informative and up-to-date website which features not only its own activities but a great deal of material relating to Yonge. Click the signature.

Highly recommended also is the website devoted to Yong’s letters.

THE EMILE ZOLA SOCIETY

Based at the French Institute in London: Institut français - Centre Culturel, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT. Tel.: 0207 073 1350

After a period of disruption, the Society’s website is now flourishing again, and its activities can be found there. Click its banner.

We also draw attention to L'équipe Zola, directed by Alain Pagès (Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris III), which has ‘comme tâche principale, l'étude génétique des dossiers préparatoires des romans d'Emile Zola (analyse des scénarios des romans, des ébauches, des plans, du discours programmatique, etc.)’. Completely unconnected with either the Society or the Équipe, there is a small and usually torpid Zola forum, which sprang suddenly to life again in December 2010.

THE ALLIANCE OF LITERARY SOCIETIES

The Alliance of Literary Societies was formed in 1973 as a result of a correspondence in The Times related to a threatened building with Dickens associations. Mrs. Kathleen Adams, Secretary of the George Eliot Fellowship, suggested that through a close co-operative literary society, societies could provide a more powerful voice in defence of the British literary heritage.

The Alliance now has a membership of some 125 societies and is thus able to provide support and advice on a variety of subjects as well as promoting co-operation between member societies in the preparation of their programmes. Their website lists these. The Alliance is very much British rooted.

A journal is produced annually. Articles are welcomed by the editor, though she should be contacted before writing the article. The co-editors are Linda Curry, @, and Robin Healey, @. A Newsletter is also produced twice a year; and two websites are maintained, one for the Alliance’s own business, the other for its members (click the colophon).

To contact the Alliance of Literary Societies, please e-mail Julie Shorland who has succeeded Rosemary Culley as Secretary.

The American Literature Association

This is a coalition of societies devoted to the study of American authors. In June 1989, members of the major societies devoted to American authors met at the Cal State Symposium on American Literature in San Diego, to discuss ways to provide specialists in American authors with new opportunities for scholarly interaction. The result was the American Literature Association: a coalition of societies devoted to the study of American authors. The major activity of the American Literature Association is its annual conference. The first conference was held at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego on May 31- June 2, 1990, and firmly established the success of the new organization.

At its organizing meeting, the members of the American Literature Association agreed to the following statement of purpose: The primary purpose of the American Literature Association is the advancement of humanistic learning by encouraging the study of American authors and their works. The American Literature Association shall actively encourage fellowship and scholarly interaction among persons interested in American authors, their art, their ideas, and their times. Specifically, the American Literature Association shall provide means for the various societies devoted to the study of American authors to cooperate in arranging conferences and other scholarly activities. The American Literature Association recognizes the importance of encouraging a wide variety of approaches, both established and innovational, to the study of American authors, including biographical and historical studies of an author's life and times, bibliographical examinations and close readings of literary texts, as well as all other critical approaches. To achieve its goals, the American Literature Association shall sponsor an annual American literature conference. The American Literature Association may also arrange other conferences and symposia, publish or support the publication of journals and books devoted to the study of American literature, offer both competitive and honorary awards to individuals, encourage the formation and development of literary societies with similar goals, and engage in other appropriate activities. The American Literature Association exists for educational and charitable purposes. It is opposed to discrimination based on sex, race, nationality, or religion, but the Association does not take positions on political or social issues.

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