Church Times reviews This Dark Night: The Life of Emily Brontë by Deborah Lutz: In a rapidly changing intellectual environment, two developments have affected the work of the historical biographer over the past two decades. First, digitisation has made it possible to read vast swaths of printed matter online, including obscure sermons and newspaper articles, and even some manuscripts, without leaving the study. Second, with privacy under erasure, biographers are empowered to go where their predecessors feared to tread with regard to the body and its functions. Both developments are evident in the making of This Dark Night, a book that demonstrates what can be achieved when a scholar-critic of Lutz’s stature applies her empathic imagination to the hidden life and writing practices of her elusive subject. Lutz has a particular interest in the materials that writers used in the Victorian age, the subject of a previous study. In the preface to her new book, she writes; “Keeping slips of paper and a pencil nub nearby, Brontë mastered a peripatetic kind of creativity, interwoven with household work, daydreaming, and exploring her native landscape.” Out on the moors by day and under the stars by night, she scribbled poems on scraps of paper and later transcribed them in drafts written in ink. Lutz argues that “the page worked for her as a sort of frame or foundation on which to build the poem. Similar to those samplers she made as a girl, the letters, words, and lines accumulated like cross-stich across and down the sheet.” Signs of digging her quill pen into the paper while writing remain legible, we are told. As Emily and her sisters prepared their poetry and fiction for publication, they acquired notebooks with thin leather covers the colour of oxblood. When opened, they would easily lie flat. Lutz’s close readings of the texts convince us of the power of a poetic vision inspired by nature and the elements. Her treatment of Emily’s writing materials reminds us that creation is work. (Dr Michael Wheeler)
Women lists "the classic books everybody is reading" this summer: Forget hot girl summer — for readers, it's decidedly a classics girl summer. According to data from Google Trends, interest in books you might not have read or even thought about since high school English class is way up. This includes some of the standard books you'd find on Rory Gilmore's reading list, like "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë and "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, but some titles surging in popularity are unusual picks for the book girlies. (Amanda Manen)
Andrés Muedano: What are you working on next? Tara Menon: I am working on both a second academic book and a second novel. My academic book is an exploration of anger and the novel. I have noticed that readers often label books “angry”—they might say, for instance, “Jane Eyre is a furious book” or “Naipaul’s novels seethe with rage,” but it’s never been clear exactly how they make those determinations. In my book, I ask: what does it mean for anger to be embedded in a novel, rather than simply expressed by one of its characters? What are the formal characteristics of anger in fiction?
Los Angeles Times interviews Samantha Morton on her role as Circe in The Odyssey 2026: But Morton doesn’t believe in bogging herself down in research, not since starring in a British TV production of “Jane Eyre” when she was 19 and carried around a heavily highlighted copy of the Charlotte Brontë book, despairing whenever the adaptation deviated from the novel. From that point on, she stuck to the script and her own imagination. (...) Morton first came to New York as a teen to do press for “Emma,” returned a year later to promote “Jane Eyre” and then couldn’t bring herself to leave, “sofa-surfing” at friends’ apartments so she could immerse herself in the city. “New York stole my heart,” Morton says. It’s where she first got into literature, devouring Charles Bukowski, roaming the aisles at the St. Mark’s Bookshop, checking out movies from Kim’s Video and gobbling hash browns and eggs over easy at the Waverly Diner. (Glenn Whipp)
Dorset Magazine interviews the actor Martin Clunes, Mr Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights 2026: Sometimes the right project is simply too good to turn down. Wuthering Heights was a fantastic job – I loved every minute of it, and Margot and Jacob and everyone on that production were lovely. I’m lucky that I still get offered work that interests me. The moment it stops being enjoyable, I’ll stop doing it. (Claire Bowman) INA (France) traces how Kate Bush's 1978 hit " Wuthering Heights " spawned a worldwide annual tradition of red-dress flash mobs, with two taking place in France this year: at the Bon-Repos abbey on July 25 and in the Bois de Vincennes in Paris on July 26, 2026. Sa reconnaissance viendra bien plus tard. Au cours du XXe siècle, Les Hauts de Hurlevent s'impose progressivement comme un classique de la littérature mondiale grâce à ses nombreuses adaptations au cinéma, à la télévision et au théâtre. Kate Bush participera, elle aussi, à cette redécouverte. Car, contrairement au roman dont elle est inspirée, sa chanson connaît un triomphe immédiat. Sortie en pleine période où s'affrontent le punk et le disco, à rebours des tendances dominantes, elle s'impose en tête des classements britanniques et détrône même le groupe ABBA. Du jamais vu pour un premier titre et une artiste inconnue. Lorsque Kate Bush découvre ce récit gothique, ce n'est pas en ouvrant le roman d'Emily Brontë, mais en regardant une adaptation télévisée diffusée par la BBC. Elle n'a alors que 16 ans. Fascinée par l'atmosphère sombre du récit et la puissance tragique de ses personnages, elle finit par lire le livre et se sent particulièrement proche de son héroïne, Catherine, surnommée Cathy, dont elle partage le prénom. Elle décide alors de transposer l'histoire dans le langage de la pop. À l'âge de 18 ans, elle compose Wuthering Heights en une seule soirée, au piano. Sa chanson s'inspire d'une scène emblématique du roman : celle où le fantôme de Cathy apparaît à la fenêtre de Heathcliff et tente de le convaincre de la laisser entrer. Kate Bush prête alors sa voix à l'héroïne disparue : « Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy, I've come home, I'm so cold, let me in-a-your window... » ("Heathcliff, c'est moi, Cathy. Je suis revenue. J'ai si froid. Laisse-moi entrer par ta fenêtre..."). En quatre minutes de musique, la chanteuse parvient ainsi à condenser toute la passion, la mélancolie et le mystère qui font encore aujourd'hui la force du roman d'Emily Brontë. (...) Si Wuthering Heights est devenue une chanson culte, c'est autant grâce à la voix singulière de Kate Bush qu'à l'univers visuel qu'elle a construit autour du morceau. Son timbre aigu, presque irréel, se mêle à des sonorités éthérées pour donner vie à un personnage fantomatique directement inspiré de Cathy Earnshaw. Mais c'est surtout le clip qui va marquer durablement les esprits. Conçue avec le chorégraphe Lindsay Kemp, célèbre pour avoir notamment formé David Bowie à l'art du mime, la chorégraphie contribue à l'atmosphère hypnotique du morceau. Dans une première version du clip, Kate Bush apparaît sous les traits du fantôme de Cathy, vêtue d'une longue robe blanche vaporeuse. Filmée au ralenti, évoluant parmi des effets visuels qui accentuent l'étrangeté de la scène, elle semble flotter entre le monde des vivants et celui des morts. Une seconde vidéo est ensuite réalisée pour le marché américain. Le décor change, mais pas la chorégraphie. Cette fois, la chanteuse danse au milieu de la campagne anglaise dans une robe rouge flamboyante qui deviendra sa tenue emblématique. Plus épurée et plus facilement identifiable, cette version va peu à peu s'imposer dans l'imaginaire collectif et devenir l'une des images les plus célèbres de la culture pop britannique. C'est d'ailleurs ce clip qui est à l'origine de The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever. Chaque année, à l'occasion de l'anniversaire de Kate Bush - et d’Emily Brontë, née un 30 juillet, elle-aussi - des milliers de fans à travers le monde enfilent la fameuse robe rouge et reproduisent les gestes envoûtants de la chanteuse. De Londres à Melbourne, en passant par Paris, cette chorégraphie née à la fin des années 1970 continue ainsi de rassembler. L'archive ci-dessous nous entraîne dans l'événement organisé en Bretagne en 2024. (Florence Dartois) (Translation)
Several news outlets talk about the last edition of Jeopardy! (July 23, 2026): Final Jeopardy today was in the category “AUTHORS“ The clue: “She sometimes signed letters “Charles Thunder” The answer: “Who is Charlotte Brontë?” ( Lizzy Buczak in Parade)
The album was recorded across Iceland, New York, and Berlin, and draws inspiration from poetry, literature and visual art. de Oliveira weaves in mythology with references to Milton's Paradise Lost and the poetry of John Keats, Emily Brontë and Anne Sexton. (Kayla Sandiford) En esto se gastan los jóvenes lucenses su Bono Cultural: «El "GTA VI" y "Cumbres Borrascosas" son los grandes éxitos de este 2026» (Andrés Quintán) (Translation) An AI includes Jane Eyre in a list of great stories never getting old on Bookclub. The Brussels Brontë Blog recounts a guided day trip through lesser-known Brontë sites in Lancashire and West Yorkshire — Cowan Bridge, Leck, Tunstall Church, Kirkby Lonsdale, and Wycoller — checking off several long-sought locations tied to the sisters' lives and Charlotte's Jane Eyre. A couple of alerts for tomorrow, July 25:
Sat 25 Jul, 10:00am Meet at the Brontë Parsonage Museum Shop
Emily and Lucy, founders of Soft Girls Who Hike, coined the term “soft hiking” - a more accessible, gentle approach to the outdoors that prioritises enjoyment over endurance. They have since built the Soft Hiking Club, an online community connecting soft hikers around the world. The movement has clearly resonated, generating over 11 billion views on TikTok and growing a combined audience of 100,000+ followers across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Their work has been featured in Insider, Forbes, Time Out, and CNBC, among others. This walk will take you from the Brontë Parsonage Museum, up across Penistone Hill, to the Brontë Bridge situated at the ‘meeting of the waters’. The walk will include various stops along the way where museum volunteer, Paul will be shedding light on the Brontë story and its connection with the landscape. Ticketholders for this event are entitled to discounted entry to the Museum at £9 (General concession ticket), as well as a choice of a ‘Team’ badge (Team Anne, Team Emily, Branwell and Charlotte badges).
Sat 25 Jul, 1:00pm Oakwell Hall & Country Park, Birstall, WF17 9LF
Discover the National Gallery through Brontë eyes. Oakwell Hall and Country Park is one of the hosts of the National Gallery's nationwide exhibition, ‘The National Gallery: Art On Your Doorstep.’ Fourteen life-size reproductions of National Gallery paintings are to be displayed throughout the Country Park. Join us at Oakwell Hall for a fascinating curator-led tour exploring when the Brontë sisters visited the National Gallery—twice!—and what the Gallery looked like during their time. Learn about their visits, the artworks they encountered, and how these experiences may have influenced their writing. Each selected painting on the tour is paired with a hand‑picked literary quote from one of the novels, offering a rich and atmospheric connection between the art and the world of the Brontës. Perfect for adults with an interest in literature, history, or art, this unique experience brings together storytelling, heritage, and visual culture.
Man fined £1,000 after fly-tipping at Penistone Hill A Rogue waste carrier has been fined for dumping rubbish. He was working without a licence and left a large pile of waste at Penistone Hill Country Park. Bradford Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team was alerted to the fly tip in early May 2025 in the park's car park, a popular spot in Haworth known for its Brontë heritage and scenic views. The dumped rubbish included household and commercial waste such as furniture, timber, doors, cardboard, black bags, and general refuse. (Harry Williams)
Hathersage, one of the UK's most beautiful places to visit, according to Derbyshire Times: Literary connections Hathersage has strong literary connections - having inspired Charlotte Brontë while she was writing Jane Eyre. The nearby North Lees Hall also became the main inspiration for Thornfield Hall. (Tom Hardwick)
Ranker proposes to list a list of film adaptations according to the biggest changes they made to their original material: There Are No Sex Scenes In Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights,’ But Plenty In The 2026 Movie Adaptation. Emily Brontë’s book is not steamy. It’s tragic, gothic, almost asexual - in fact, the star-crossed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff are soulmates, no sex needed. When society doesn’t allow them to marry because he’s poor, things become tragic and toxic, and with time love becomes obsession, and its beauty becomes withering. The movie has some of those elements, but it’s not interested in the yearning, but the lust between Cathy and Heathcliff, especially once she’s married Edgar, showing them having sex numerous times (there’s also a scene with the servants having S&M sex, for some reason). Director Emerald Fennell has said the film is inspired by how she felt reading the book when she was 14, so it makes sense that the yearning, in her eyes, involved lust. In turn, it logically follows that one of the things she was interested in adapting was creating this much more sexually forward version. (Rafa Boladeras)
The Booker Prizes interviews classicist and Chair of the Booker Prize 2026 judges, Mary Beard:
What book made you fall in love with reading as a child? How and why did it capture your imagination? I don’t think I ever ‘fell in love’ with reading. And I don’t feel ‘in love’ with it now. Reading has always been much more embedded in my life than that (as necessary as eating and sleeping… and most of us aren’t ‘in love’ with sleeping). What books do I remember from all those years ago? Any number… Beatrix Potter’s Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, Jane Eyre and the Guinness Book of Records.
Cinemanía (Spain) recommends Wuthering Heights 2011, which is fine. The piece about the film and the novel is spotless and insightful. The only thing: the author seems to confuse Emily with J.K. Rowling in the use of napkins to write her novel. "Yo soy Heathcliff", dijo Catherine Earnshaw. Y la historia de la literatura tembló. Emily Brontë acababa de escribir (en servilletas, apenas tenía papel)(????????) una de las novelas más emblemáticas de la tradición anglosajona, una de las historias de amor más infelices y arrebatadoras de todos los tiempos, 260 páginas de crueldad y desencuentro, de desamor desabrigado y escarpado como el abismo que la propia autora creó y colocó entre Heathcliff y Cathy, el kilométrico páramo que separaba Wuthering Heights de Thrushcross Grange, el salvajismo de la civilización, el corazón de la razón. Podría parecer que una historia así no debería suscitar el interés de una directora como Andrea Arnold, más inclinada –ya lo demostró en Wasp o en Fish Tank– hacia el drama urbano, el realismo social y la brutalidad infantil. Y sin embargo, la directora sorprende con una lectura fiel, que aunque prescinde del armazón más aparatoso de la obra (elimina el juego matrioskal de narradores) apunta a su más pura esencia, dispara al corazón mismo de la novela y empata con ella, consigue lo que Cumbres borrascosas logró en su momento: que al leer aquella historia de amor nos doliera el cuerpo. Pero su verdadero acierto es que para transmitirnos la esencia de Cumbres borrascosas no renuncia a su estilo, a su manera de contar las cosas. Su versión del clásico es casi muda (las palabras que intercala –"me has roto el corazón, me has matado"– son como puños golpeando en el estómago), la violencia y el barro y la mugre se hacen más explícitas, el lenguaje está inspirado en el de las barriadas de Essex, y su banda sonora son los animales, los gritos, el viento, las palmadas, el dolor… convirtiendo la adaptación en algo más parecido a un poema. Que Heathcliff sea más negro que en la novela quiere decir que la directora tampoco ha abandonado los temas que la inquietan y en los que le gusta ahondar: ¿qué sucede cuando un niño crece rodeado de violencia y sin amor? "Emily Brontë era Heathcliff", diría Andrea Arnold, "y todos podríamos ser él". (Andrea G. Bermejo) (Translation)
In the video for her 1978 song “Wuthering Heights,” Kate Bush wears a red dress and red flowers in her hair as she twirls, swoops, beckons and poses through a grassy plain. She’s mesmerizing, acting out the aching lyrics — “Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy / I’ve come home, I’m so cold” — in indelible gestures that I’ll admit I’ve stood in front of the screen mirroring more than once. Each summer, locations around the world host “The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever,” where people get together in cherry-colored dresses and recreate the dance. Here are gatherings in Melbourne, Atlanta, Edinburgh and the original performance that inspired them all in Brighton, from 2013. Many events are scheduled for this weekend, including one in the English coastal town of Folkestone, whose organizers have put together a tutorial for how to do the dance. It looks a little intimidating when you see Kate Bush kicking her leg up near her ear on each refrain, but, as one of the instructors in the tutorial says: “The point isn’t to look brilliant; the point is to make sure we have lots of fun.” Thanks to Ann Shaller, a reader from Orange County, Calif., who’s been known to dance her own Nelken Line, for the recommendation. ( Melissa Kirsch)
Freie Presse (Germany) asks some local booksellers for recommendations, and Wuthering Heights is one of them. Uncommon Content thinks that The Other Bennet Sister is closer to Jane Eyre than Jane Austen. A couple of new papers with Brontë-related content: Esther Liu Godfrey, University of South Carolina Upstate Victorians: A Journal of Culture and Literature, Number 149, Summer 2026, pp. 141-161
This essay argues that Gen Z readers, equipped with a vernacular psychological literacy derived from social media and therapy culture, are uniquely positioned to reread Wuthering Heights through a diagnostic gaze: a feminist interpretive practice that recognizes the novel’s psychodynamics as patterns of abuse rather than passion. While feminist critics from Deborah Lutz to Arielle Zibrak have examined the liberating potential of portrayals of desire, contemporary students bring to the text a democratized therapeutic vocabulary—terms such as trauma bond, coercive control, and enmeshment—that reframes the dangerous lover’s allure as pathology. Drawing on pedagogical encounters and the cultural afterlife of Wuthering Heights in Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, and Emerald Fennell’s recent film adaptation, this essay traces how Wuthering Heights persists as a cultural trauma loop: a dopamine-driven cycle of harm and reconciliation that masquerades as romance. Integrating insights from Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Naomi Booth, Jack Halberstam, Christine Jarvis, and Sandra Lee Bartky, I contend that therapy-speak, often dismissed as reductive pop psychology, instead informs a feminist discourse capable of dismantling the aesthetics of romanticized abuse. The diagnostic gaze thus offers a mode of reading that neither pathologizes desire nor romanticizes domination. By recognizing Catherine and Heathcliff ’s relationship as a model of dysregulated attachment rather than transcendent love, Gen Z readers illuminate new ethical possibilities for teaching and reading Brontë today: not the cancellation of Wuthering Heights, but the recovery of intimacy itself.
Santos Zunzunegui Díez, Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea SERIARTE. Revista científica De Series Televisivas Y Arte Audiovisual, 10, 45–58 (2026)
Recuperando una idea acariciada durante más de veinte años largos años y con la complicidad esencial de uno de sus mejores guionistas, Julio Alejandro, Buñuel lleva a cabo una adaptación de la gran novela de Emily Brontë, Cumbres borrascosas, transponiéndola desde los áridos páramos ingleses a las ardientes tierras mexicanas. Pero sobre todo insertando el amor imposible y transgresor que la novela describe en la tradición hispánica de la más pura necrofilia con la finalidad de proponer una ilustración cinematográfica de uno de los versos más célebres de nuestra literatura, ese «polvo enamorado» que cantó Quevedo, como destino final de cualquier amor.
An alert from the Brontë Birthplace for today, July 23: Brontë Birthplace, Bradford, BD13 3HF Thu 23rd July 2026, 11:00AM Thu 6 Aug 2026, 11:00AM Thu 20 Aug 2026, 11:00AM
Join storyteller Cathy Calvert for a magical morning of stories, imagination and creativity at the Brontë Birthplace. Perfect for younger children and their families, these relaxed storytelling sessions encourage a love of books and bring stories to life in the very place where the Brontës' own love of storytelling first began. Whether you're a regular visitor or discovering the Birthplace for the first time, Storytime offers a wonderful way to start your day. Afterwards, why not stay and explore the historic house, enjoy refreshments in our volunteer-run Tea Room or take part in our Brontë Cats trail?
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