Frankenreads: An international celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Halloween is for Frankenreads
Celebrate all things Frankenstein at UM on October 31
On October 31, 2018, the world will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. To date, there are over 450 worldwide participants in Frankenreads, from Brazil to Bhutan. Here in Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba has some fantastic events planned, and students, staff, faculty and the community are invited to join in on the fun.
All events take place in UMSU University Centre.
Throughout the day, students, academics, and administrators will take turns reading the entirety of Mary Shelley’s famous novel. This is expected to take approximately nine hours to complete. Film adaptations of Frankenstein will play throughout the day. Students and the public will be given the opportunity to place a vote on art collages created by School of Fine Arts students. Prizes will be awarded to the top three posters. Popcorn and Frankenstein-themed snacks and drinks will be served.
An invitation has been extended to high school English classes to attend the events and participate in an interactive workshop with Dr. Michelle Faubert and Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square, Shelley researchers and experts in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media. To participate in the field trip workshop that has been designed to incorporate with the English curriculum, schools may contact Dr. Jones Square.
Schedule of Events
8:30 am – 5:30 pm – Reading, movies, poster competition and snacks
Where: The Gallery of Student Art, Room 105 & Room 521 AB
(Movies will be paused between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon for the high school student workshop.)
Poster competition winners will be announced at 12:45 pm.
9:45 am – 10:15 am – Trivia games and prizes
Where: The Gallery of Student Art, Room 105
What: Trivia games will be played, with the opportunity to win Frankenstein-themed prizes such as mugs, tote bags, and water bottles.
11:00 am – 11:30 am – High School Field Trip Workshop
Where: Room 521 AB
What: Dr. Michelle Faubert and Dr. Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square will deliver an interactive workshop on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) to the high school students in attendance. Dr. Faubert will discuss Romantic science, with reference to vitalism, animism, and electricity, and Dr. Jones Square will discuss the novel’s engagement with otherness and ostracism as well as the profound influence Frankenstein has had on our present-day thinking about science, literature, and ethics. Students will be asked a series of questions, and a group discussion/debate will ensue. Questions will be provided to teachers in advance to help prepare students for the workshop and/or to help incorporate into the classroom curriculum.
This event is sponsored by the University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities, the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media, the School of Art, the Faculty of Arts and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.