Join the “Project Endings” Team

Image from a bound volume of Chatterbox, edited by J. Erskine Clarke and published by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co, London, c. 1886-1887.

A Crowd-Sourcing Project for Victorianists

Please join Helena Michie, Robyn Warhol and Huw Edwards-Evans in a new, crowd-sourced study of Victorian serial novels. For “Project Endings,” we are seeking volunteers to look at the strategies novelists used for ending serial parts and for connecting them to the beginnings of the next parts. They used cliffhangers, you say? We were surprised to discover that this well known fact is not true. Cliffhangers are rare in Victorian serial fiction! So what did novelists do to keep their readers coming back, month after month, to see what happens next?

What’s Involved?

If you volunteer to help with this “medium data” study (it’s not “big data” because no computer application could do the required analysis), we will ask you to:

  • Read one Victorian novel in its original serial parts (which can be easily accessed at Reading Like a Victorian;
  • Read through the Project Endings Code Book, which lists the strategies for ending and beginning that we have so far observed (which you receive from us);
  • Fill out a simple Google form for each part of your serial novel and return the forms to us. If you notice a strategy that isn’t already on the form, we ask that you flag it so we can add it to our taxonomy.

We will send you a list of some 200 novels that are as-yet unspoken for and ask you to list your top three choices. We will do our best to accommodate your preference.

What are the Requirements?

No special knowledge of Victorian literature is required. Our volunteers include recreational readers as well as scholars, researchers, and students. The timeframe for completing the task begins now and ends in January, 2025.

Any questions? Feel free to email Robyn or Helena. We look forward to hearing from you and learning from your participation!

Want to Volunteer?

If you are ready and willing to volunteer, please send an email to Huw Edwardes-Evans by clicking the button below. Huw will enroll you in the project and send you the list of novels that are still available, along with instructions for the task.
Yes! I'm in!