Light and Shadow Events

Panel Discussion: Celebrating Louis Le Prince

This special free panel event will explore the fascinating and tragic story of Leeds artist and inventor Louis le Prince, who made the world’s first moving images in the city in 1888. Thursday, 5th November at 18.00. The panel will also explore the influence of Le Prince's wife Elizabeth Whitley and how we can increase awareness of their place in film history (they are featured together in the LIFF 2026 artwork as highlighted in the image at the top of this page). Hosted by LIFF Director Chris Fell, the event will run for approximately one hour and the panelists are: Irfan Shah, a Leeds based writer and expert on the life and work of Le Prince; Laurel Avery, a novelist, dress historian and former museum educator who is a Le Prince enthusiast and has written the new novel Light and Shadow based on his life; and Jason Lowe, a senior producer in video and animation who is aiming to create a permanent landmark in Leeds for Le Prince.

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Join Laurel for a special free presentation about her new novel, Light and Shadow, at Leiden's premier international bookshop, the Mayflower. Laurel will discuss the fascinating story behind one of cinema’s greatest mysteries and will welcome questions from readers. She is looking forward to chatting with you and to signing your copy with a personal touch.

Thursday, 19 November 2026, 8pm, Breestraat 70, Leiden

Author event at Mayflower Bookshop Leiden, NL
Get your free tickets here!
See the chat on YouTube!

Laurel spoke at the Morris–Jumel Mansion's Virtual Parlor Chat, where she dove into the true story of Augustin Le Prince and the mystery behind the vanished inventor.

Laurel went into depth about the research involved in retracing Le Prince's steps before his mysterious disappearance, and the importance of getting the history right for Light and Shadow. We went from the Paris morgue, to Leeds, where the first films were shot, to Washington Heights and the Morris–Jumel Mansion, where his family waited for his planned arrival and the much anticipated showing of the first film.

Virtual Parlor Chat

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