Professor Moyra Haslett to give Armagh Gulliver's Travels lecture

As part of Armagh Robinson Library’s three-part series, the second lecture will be given by Professor Moyra Haslett on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 7.30pm. The title ‘The Armagh Gulliver’s Travels’ will highlight the three hundredth anniversary of Jonathan Swift’s own copy of ‘Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver’, better known as ‘Gulliver's Travels’.

Professor Moyra Haslett has published widely on the literature and culture of the period 1680-1830. Her first book, on the poetry of Lord Byron, was awarded the Rose Mary Crawshay prize by the British Academy in 1996; more recent work has focused on Irish writing in English and women’s writing. Her published research on Jonathan Swift includes studies of his poetry, public and private celebrations of his birthday, his involvement in conversational culture and the political ballads which were written in his praise in Dublin 1724-25. She is currently preparing an article on Swift and court culture. Moyra has taught English literature at Queen’s University Belfast since 1999, becoming Professor of Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Literature in 2012. In recognition of her scholarship, she was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2019.

In advance of her lecture in Armagh, Moyra said: ‘I am really looking forward to talking about Armagh Robinson Library’s copy of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ – a truly unique copy in being the only copy of the book known to have been owned by Swift and with annotated corrections in his own hand. I’ll be taking a look at those corrections and outlining their significance for Swift and the book’s first readers. The story of the ‘Armagh Gulliver’ is a fascinating one: it raises some unresolved questions but also has much to tell us about this famous work.’

Published in London in 1726 by Benjamin Motte, Swift discovered that his publisher had changed words and phrases without his knowledge. Swift had used many of those phrases to criticise important people and institutions of the day. He made changes to the text in this 1726 copy to prepare for a second publication.

Keeper of Armagh Robinson Library, the Very Revd Shane Forster, added, “As we celebrate the tercentenary of the publication of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, we are delighted that Professor Moyra Haslett will be giving the second in the series of lectures, focussing in on Jonathan Swift’s annotated notes within his own copy of the book, which is owned by Armagh Robinson Library. We are grateful to Professor Haslett and to Queen’s University Belfast for their generous support of this series of lectures.”

Armagh Robinson Library’s exhibition titled ‘Gulliver at 300’ will remain on display until the end of this year. Created in-house by the Library’s Archivist, Thirza Mulder, the exhibition explores Swift’s work as a commentary on 18th century society, politics, science, education and human nature.