This Special Interest Day features the world of the Brontës. Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall… The Brontë sisters wrote some of the most extraordinary and distinctive novels of the 19th century; works which are now famous world-wide. This special interest day will explore various aspects of the Brontës’ creative genius; each lecture offering unique insights into their everyday lives, their imaginative vision and artistic legacy.
The day will be held by Annalie Talent who members will remember gave a lecture about Jane Austen in 2025. Annalie’s lectures focus on aspects of Romantic and Victorian literature. She uses her knowledge and personal experience of literary houses - and their collections - to offer a unique perspective on writers and their works. As usual it will consist of 3 lectures in th Dinant Room of the Spotlight Theatre. The day starts with a coffee or tea and biscuits from 10.00. Annalie will then give her first two talks with a short break in between followed by a sandwich lunch (included in the ticket price) and the final lecture is held at 2.00 finishing around 3.00 . Only 60 place are available so early booking is essential.
Lecture 1 is The Brontës: Their World in Objects
A newspaper; a tiny hand-made book; a brass dog collar; a set of toy soldiers; a pair of suede moccasins…. What can each of these seemingly random objects tell us about the lives and work of three great writers, and about their place within the world?
Lecture 2 is Shocking! The Brontës’ Radical Women
The Brontes wrote novels that shocked Victorian Britain. Dismissed by some critics as violent, vulgar and coarse, the sisters’ tales featured heroines who defied convention, demanded respect, craved independence and fought for their place in a male dominated world. This was not how Victorian women were meant to behave.
This lecture will focus on the Brontës’ spirited – and surprisingly subversive - women; from the iconic figures of Jane Eyre, Catherine Earnshaw and Bertha Rochester; to less familiar characters such as Helen Huntingdon and Shirley Keeldar. We’ll explore the extent to which the Brontës created these radical heroines in their own image and discover how their fictional women speak clearly to us today.
This lecture will explore the Brontë story by focusing on the material culture of their lives. We’ll discover a series of objects, all of which offer fascinating insights into the lived experience of the Brontë sisters. From print culture to the decorative arts, these objects have remarkable stories to tell about three women who created some of the most original and enduring novels of the 19th century.
Lecture 3 is Brontemania: The Afterlives of the Brontes
Since the middle of the 19th century there has been intense fascination with the lives and works of the Bronte sisters; or, as one critic coined it, ‘Brontemania’. Their novels – and life story - have entered the public imagination through countless stage and screen adaptations; their Yorkshire home has long been a place of pilgrimage for Brontë fans from across the world; and Bronte lives and writings have inspired the work of authors, artists and musicians alike: from Daphne du Maurier to Jean Rhys; from Paula Rego to Cornelia Parker; and from Kate Bush to Taylor Swift.
This lecture tells the story of the Brontës’ literary fame, and explores the artistic legacy of their iconic tales; works which continue to engage, inspire and influence audiences today.
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