George Eliot and Cara Bray - Talk & Performance

Discover the remarkable story of Coventry-born novelist George Eliot and her lifelong friendship with Cara Bray, one of the most significant yet often overlooked figures in her personal life. A writer, intellectual and devoted mother, Cara Bray shared a deep bond with Eliot through decades of correspondence, mutual support and shared experiences of love, loss and creativity. 

Today, Cara Bray rests in Coventry's historic London Road Cemetery, the location for the unique presentation.

In this special event, George Eliot Fellowship Chair John Burton explores the lives, friendship and enduring legacy of these two extraordinary Victorian women. The talk will include a performance of It Must Be Borne by the Red Rover Theatre Company.

Set in the final years of her life, the play follows Cara Bray as she revisits her correspondence with George Eliot. Through memories of conversations, family life and the profound love she held for her daughter Elinor,…