Since the BIG READ began in 2020, we’ve welcomed more than 14,000 attendances, and we’re hugely grateful to everyone who has taken part in this wonderful programme.

The Trollope Society’s BIG READ now returns for its sixth year, inviting you to read at a steady pace of around a chapter a day over each fortnight. We then meet every second Monday on Zoom to discuss that set of chapters together. Each session begins with a short introduction from a volunteer, followed by a friendly and reflective conversation. Whether you’re new to Trollope or returning to old favourites, we’d be delighted to have you with us for another year of shared reading.

Everyone is welcome and it is free to join. Register once, come when you can, and opt out at any time. If you are able, please consider supporting the Society with a small monthly donation. Just £5 a month helps us continue our work, from running events to maintaining our online resources.

• Donate to support the work of the Trollope Society

What we’re reading in 2026

We begin the year with Rachel Ray and The Bertrams. Rachel Ray offers a warm, engaging view of small-town life, mixing gentle humour with the quiet pressures of reputation. It leads nicely into The Bertrams, a novel of ambition, misjudgement, and the search for direction, moving between London society and Jerusalem.

As spring arrives we turn to Mr Scarborough’s Family, one of Trollope’s boldest late novels. It pushes at the boundaries of inheritance, legality, and moral responsibility, with a central scheme that always sparks lively discussion.

In the summer we read The Belton Estate and Castle Richmond. The Belton Estate is a study of duty, loyalty, and unspoken desire. Castle Richmond, set during the Great Famine in Ireland, blends family drama with a serious historical backdrop, giving the novel weight and urgency.

As autumn approaches we take up The Kellys and the O’Kellys and Ralph the Heir. The first is a lively early novel full of humour and vivid characters set in Ireland. The second is a spirited late work of elections, entanglements, and a hero who takes his time to mature. We conclude, as ever, with Trollope’s Christmas stories.

Full BIG READ 2026 schedule

Rachel Ray

• 12 January – Chapters 1–15
• 26 January – Chapters 16–30

The Bertrams

• 9 February – Chapters 1–12
• 23 February – Chapters 13–24
• 9 March – Chapters 25–36
• 23 March – Chapters 37–47

Mr Scarborough’s Family

• 6 April – Chapters 1–13
• 20 April – Chapters 14–26
• 4 May – Chapters 27–39
• 18 May – Chapters 40–52
• 1 June – Chapters 53–64

The Belton Estate

• 15 June – Chapters 1–11
• 29 June – Chapters 12–22
• 13 July – Chapters 23–32

Castle Richmond

• 27 July – Chapters 1–11
• 10 August – Chapters 12–22
• 24 August – Chapters 23–33
• 7 September – Chapters 34–44

The Kellys and the O’Kellys

• 21 September – Chapters 1–12
• 5 October – Chapters 13–24
• 19 October – Chapters 25–36

Ralph the Heir

• 2 November – Chapters 1–14
• 16 November – Chapters 15–29
• 30 November – Chapters 30–44
• 14 December – Chapters 45–58

Christmas Stories

• 28 December – Seasonal readings

Register free for the BIG READ 2026

We will send you an email with instructions on how to join. Using Zoom is easy, just click on the link in the email and follow the instructions. You can join as many or as few meetings as you like. Please note that you will not be able to join the meeting until 8.00pm (UK time) on the day.

• Register free for the BIG READ 2026

Volunteer to introduce a meeting

Each session begins with an introduction to the assigned chapters. These introductions, led by participants, are a valuable part of the discussions, offering varied interpretations and insights.

If you’d like to volunteer to introduce a meeting, we’d be delighted to hear from you. We welcome all perspectives, and you can be sure of an appreciative audience. The only thing we ask is that you refrain from making any reference to contemporary politics.