Claire Wood – författare

Charles Dickens is famous for his deathbed scenes, but these have rarely been examined within the context of his ambivalence towards the Victorian commodification of death. Dickens repeatedly criticised ostentatious funeral and mourning customs, and asserted the harmful consequences of treating the corpse as an object of speculation rather than sympathy. At the same time, he was fascinated by those who made a living from death and recognised that his authorial profits implicated him in the same trade. This book explores how Dickens turned mortality into the stuff of life and art as he navigated a thriving culture of death-based consumption. It surveys the diverse ways in which death became a business, from body-snatching, undertaking, and joint-stock cemetery companies, to the telling and selling of stories. This broad study offers fresh perspectives on death in The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend, and discusses lesser-known works and textual illustrations.

Charles Dickens is famous for his deathbed scenes, but these have rarely been examined within the context of his ambivalence towards the Victorian commodification of death. Dickens repeatedly criticised ostentatious funeral and mourning customs, and asserted the harmful consequences of treating the corpse as an object of speculation rather than sympathy. At the same time, he was fascinated by those who made a living from death and recognised that his authorial profits implicated him in the same trade. This book explores how Dickens turned mortality into the stuff of life and art as he navigated a thriving culture of death-based consumption. It surveys the diverse ways in which death became a business, from body-snatching, undertaking, and joint-stock cemetery companies, to the telling and selling of stories. This broad study offers fresh perspectives on death in The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend, and discusses lesser-known works and textual illustrations.

Syllabus: CfE (Curriculum for Excellence, from Education Scotland) and SQALevel: BGE S1-3: Second, Third and Fourth LevelsSubject: HistoryDiscover, debate and work like historians in S1 to S3. From Iron Age Scotland, through the Atlantic slave trade, women's suffrage and the World Wars to 1960s America, this source-rich, research-based narrative explores diverse and dynamic historical contexts.Covering CfE Second, Third and Fourth Level Benchmarks for Social Studies: People, Past Events and Societies, this ready-made and differentiated course puts progression for every pupil at the heart of your curriculum.> Improve historical thinking skills: Pupils' understanding of Scottish, British, European and World History develops as they analyse and evaluate contemporary source material> Follow a consistent, classroom-tested lesson structure: Each lesson begins with a learning intention and thought-provoking starter before progressing to exposition and activities> Meet the needs of each pupil in your class: The content and activities are designed to ensure accessibility for those with low prior attainment, while extension tasks will stretch high achieving pupils> Effectively check and assess progress: End-of-lesson questions and research tasks support formative assessment, helping you to monitor progression against the Experiences & Outcomes and Benchmarks> Lay firm foundations for National qualifications: The skills, knowledge and understanding established through the course will set up pupils for success at National 5 and beyond> Deliver the 'responsibility for all' Es and Os: Literacy skills are given great prominence throughout the book, with comprehension and extended writing underpinning many activities

The Edinburgh Companion to Charles Dickens and the Arts explores Dickens's rich and complex relationships with a myriad of art forms and the far-reaching resonance of his works across the arts overall. This volume reassesses Dickens's prescient philosophy of art, both through a historical and a present-day lens and in the context of debates about the cultural value of the arts. Across thirty-three original essays, it outlines the ways in which Dickens broke down oppositions between high and low art, money and the aesthetic, the extraordinary and the ordinary, and art for its own sake and the social good. In doing so, it considers how Dickens prefigured the arts of the future, including rap music, television, fanfiction and global cinema.

Belonging without Barriers casts a vision of inclusion and full belonging within our churches and other Christian communities for those with additional needs. Brading, Bunyan, and Wood begin by exploring the theological basis for this vision, aiming to inspire the reader with God’s love for the weak and marginalised in society. They then move into a practical section outlining a range of different experiences we are likely to encounter, including autism, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities. Each chapter contains up-to-date research, personal accounts, interviews, and a range of specific, actionable ideas, including changes that any individual within the church could make. This book shares a vision not just for inclusion, but for full integration and belonging for those with additional needs. Throughout, the emphasis is that this is an ‘every believer ministry’ as we all grow in love together as Christ’s disciples wherever he has put us.