Introduction

In September 2015 scholars from around the world came together in London to reassess the literature, life, and legacies of the Victorian novelist Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1835-1915) in the centenary year of her death. Since her recovery by second-wave feminist critics from the 1970s onward, Braddon has received increasing critical attention. Moving from an initial position on the very margins of scholarly awareness, she has become a central figure of the Victorian literary landscape, generating full-length studies, edited collections, and countless journal articles. The centenary conference aimed to examine the current state of the field and identify recent trends in scholarship. In its diversity of topics, approaches, and critical perspectives, the event irrefutably demonstrated that Braddon Studies continues to flourish. The articles included in this special issue were developed from papers presented at the conference and are testament to the ongoing significance of Braddon’s writing to Victorian Studies more broadly.