Johnson Society of London

Programme, October 2026 – April 2027

Venues: All meetings except in December and April will be at Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street and also over Zoom.

24 October, 2:30 pm

Herman Melville’s Other White Whale: Dr Johnson

Dr Christopher Ohge (School of Advanced Studies, London University)

Chair: Catherine Dille

14 November, 2:30 pm

Johnson in the Company of Kings

Miriam Al Jamil

Chair: John Rollason

12 December

The Annual Johnson Commemoration

2:00 pm, Westminster Abbey. A wreath will be laid on Johnson’s grave by Kate Chisholm

3.30 pm, Dr Johnson’s House. Richard Thrale Memorial Lecture and reception (details to be advised).

‘Veniamo ad altro’: the Afterlives of Hester Thrale Piozzi

Kate Chisholm

Chair: Julian Currall

9 January 2027, 2:30 pm

Reading, Writing and Making Books in Johnson's England

Dr Georgina Wilson (University of Oxford)

Chair: Jane Darcy

13 February, 2:30 pm

Readings from Boswell’s Life of Johnson

Chair: Jane Darcy

To discuss the years 1709-1739

13 March 2027

1.00 pm. Annual General Meeting

2.30 pm. Francis Barber in the Dictionary Garret

Professor Lynda Mugglestone (Professor of the History of English, University of Oxford)

Chair: Michael Bundock

10 April, 2:30 pm

Kitty Clive, or The Fair Songster

Dr Berta Joncus (Goldsmiths, University of London)

Chair: Lois Potter

A downloadable copy of this programme can be found here.