Tomorrow will mark the 178th anniversary of Branwell Bronté's death and The Telegraph and Argus takes a look at recent and forthcoming talks about him. Talks exploring the life and legacy of Branwell Brontë are taking place at the Brontë Parsonage and Brontë Birthplace. The events aim to shed light on the often-overlooked brother of the famous Brontë sisters, who made his mark as both an artist and poet but whose life was ultimately overshadowed by personal struggles. On September 22, the Brontë Birthplace hosted an online talk titled Sibling Rivalry: Unpacking the Art of Branwell Brontë, led by guest speaker Dr Maebh O’Regan. The talk explored Branwell’s artistic output, focusing on his creative process. Branwell’s most well-known work is The Brontë Sisters Portrait, also known as The Pillar Portrait, painted in 1834. Though the piece has received negative criticism, it remains one of the most popular works in the British National Portrait Gallery. Later in the week, the Brontë Parsonage will present an in-person and online talk on September 24, titled Grief and Loss in the Writing of Branwell Brontë. Led by Brontë scholar Rose Gant, the talk will begin at 2pm at the Parsonage, with a Zoom session offered at 7.30pm. A spokesman for the Brontë Parsonage said: "Like his siblings, Branwell suffered a series of losses throughout his lifetime, attending the deathbed of his mother, his aunt and his close friend William Weightman. "Branwell drew on these losses as inspiration for his writing, capturing his experiences in both his letters and poetry. "This talk will explore these writings, looking at both the inspirations and how Branwell captures his experiences of grief." (Amelia Short)
The Telegraph features 'The battle to save Brontë country from England’s biggest wind farm'. As bleak as it is beautiful, the windswept landscape of the South Pennines and its surrounding settlements in West Yorkshire fuelled the imagination of the Brontë sisters as they wrote their works in the mid-19th century. “In the hill-country silence, their poetry comes by lines and stanzas into my mind,” wrote Charlotte Brontë, reflecting on the moorland after the deaths of her sisters, Anne and Emily. Yet residents warn the setting that inspired the Brontës could be lost forever to England’s largest onshore wind farm. [...] “It’s not just a local moor,” explains Nick MacKinnon, who lives in the small village of Stanbury. “It’s internationally designated twice, and it’s internationally famous as the Brontë moor. [...] As for the wind farm’s ramifications for tourism, Calderdale Energy Park said: “Our assessment work to date concludes that Top Withens and its Brontë associations would remain intact, with no harm to its heritage significance.” Yet Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, is not convinced. “You can’t separate the Brontës’ work and the influence on them from the landscape itself,” she says. “The two are completely entwined.” Despite having seen visitor numbers increase by 20pc, in part because of the release of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, Yorke believes the tourism related to the literary heritage would be affected if the project went ahead, given the landscape would be “forever changed”. “Wuthering Heights is full of references to wildlife, particularly birds, such as lapwings and skylarks, which are around today. And there are also several mentions of peat in the novel,” she says “The Brontës themselves were well aware of the nature which made up the moors.” Yorke points to the final line of Wuthering Heights in which Lockwood, seemingly untouched by the turbulence he has witnessed, ponders the “quiet earth” of Brontë country. “If Calderdale Energy Park is not stopped, then the ‘quiet’ of this unique and special place will be shattered by the industrial hum of turbines, and the ‘earth’ replaced by tons of concrete,” she says. (Robert White)
The fact that Calderdale Energy Park is wilfully misunderstanding what 'landscape' means and the very real fears of local residents (and not just local residents) for the area says it all, really. We sincerely hope the plans will fall through, and the sooner the better.
Indie Boulevard features Amanda Fagan, whose new song ‘Forever Yearn’ 'takes its heart from Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights'. The couple in the song burn with feeling, however let their pride stand between them. Years pass. Only then do the lyrical protagonists see what they’ve lost, and by that point, the door is already closed. What remains is longing that never fades and hunger with nowhere left to go. Amanda Fagan treats this story with lightness, allowing the sadness to come through naturally. “Forever Yearn” is a minor tragedy concerning timing and stubbornness, in that two lives can easily drift apart when neither of the individuals is willing to yield first. The song takes a classic story of ruined passion and turns it into a personal and up-to-date account, one that deals with the cost of delaying too long in saying what is important. (Layla Moore)
A new production of Anne Dudley's Jane Eyre musical adaptation opens today in Billingham, UK:
by Anne Dalton Forum Theatre Billingham 23/09/2026 to 26/09/2026
Experience the passion, mystery and romance of Jane Eyre - The Musical, from award-winning writer Anne Dalton, creator of the internationally acclaimed Her Benny — winner of the International Quest for New Musicals. Starring Janet Cowley (The Phantom of the Opera), alongside Peter Brindle (A Christmas Carol), Elena Porter, Megan Hughes and Peter Chapman (Joseph), this sweeping new production brings Charlotte Brontë’s beloved classic thrillingly to life. New to the story or a lifelong fan? Be transported through eerie Yorkshire mists, haunting secrets and soaring emotion in this powerful Gothic musical filled with unforgettable songs, sparkling dialogue and breathtaking drama. Follow Jane from her difficult childhood to the grandeur of Thornfield Hall, where she meets the darkly charismatic Mr Rochester — a man hiding a devastating secret. Intelligent, independent and fiercely determined, Jane proves more than a match for her brooding employer. Will love conquer the shadows of the past? Laugh, cry and be swept away by this truly magical theatrical experience.
In The Telegraph and Argus, Brontë Parsonage Museum director, Rebecca Yorke, discusses the proposed West Yorkshire tourism levy. Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, said: "We have not consulted our local accommodation partners or our visitors about the possible introduction of an overnight visitor levy, but understand why there might be concerns. "The current economic climate continues to put pressure on the budgets of businesses and visitors alike and many tourist destinations have already been impacted by increased costs, e.g. the price of fuel and car parking charges." She stressed the need for transparency if a levy is introduced. Ms Yorke said: "While the introduction of a tourism levy will bring us in line with many European destinations, we believe it's important that its purpose is clearly communicated and articulates how the income generated by it will be used." (Amelia Short)
Awards Watch reviews the new film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility while reminding readers of the fact that: Just this year, Emerald Fennell crafted her own spin on Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” and Christopher Nolan struck box office gold with his version of “The Odyssey,” proving there is always new material to mine, even if it makes literary purists uneasy. (Sophia Ciminello) Southern Living lists '23 Books To Read When You Want To Cozy Up On A Rainy Day' including Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë A gothic story of longing set between two neighboring estates in a bleak northern England setting, Wuthering Heights follows multiple generations of love stories between destructive characters and passionate romantic tangles. Obsessive love, social class, and even a few ghostly hauntings come into play in this page-turner that feels like one endless rainy day. (Arabella Hau)
Vanguardia (Mexico) also includes Wuthering Heights on an autumn reading list.
The Real Love Story Behind Jane Eyre Was Much Darker Join Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett as they delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of Jane Eyre, the world it was born of, and the novel itself.
An online alert from the Brontë Birthplace: Tuesday 22 September 2026 via Zoom at 18.30
Dr Maebh O’ Regan’s talk examines the art of Branwell Brontë, with special focus on his process and practice. Collaboration and rivalry were the driving forces behind the Brontë siblings’ creative endeavours, but given the Victorian construction of masculinity, where the male was the breadwinner and, in every way superior to the female, Branwell had his limitations. Charlotte was the first member of the Brontë family to achieve success as a visual artist. In 1834 she had two drawings accepted for the summer exhibition in the Royal Society for Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Leeds, and these architectural landscapes were displayed in company with the work of such established artists as J. M.W. Turner. 1834 was also the year when Emily and Anne joined forces creating their first diary paper in visual and verbal format. Branwell’s initial work in oils, The Brontë Sister’s Portrait, also known as The Pillar Portrait, was painted the same year. It’s first critic, Mrs Gaskell, deemed it to be, ‘not much better than a sign painting as to manipulation, but the likenesses were admirable.’ Much of the negative criticism regarding Branwell’s work derives from a lack of understanding of the materials and methods available to a Victorian artist. However, The Pillar Portrait continues to be one of the most popular works in the British National Portrait Gallery. This mysterious painting raises many questions around its composition and content. Why did Charlotte deny the existence of The Pillar Portrait, and why is there no mention of this painting in their family correspondence? What prompted Arthur Bell Nicholls to remove it from its stretcher and to secrete it on top of a wardrobe at his home in Banagher, Ireland? And finally, why did the National Portrait Gallery decide not to restore the work before they put it on display? To address these questions, it is necessary to explore Branwell’s artistic journey in light of the pedagogical standards of the day. The visual arts played a significant role in the lives of all of the Brontë children therefore, it is important to analyse Branwell’s artistic output in conjunction with his creative interaction with his siblings.
A reviewer from NTDaily compares Practical Magic 2 unfavourably with respect to Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights.It is not that every film needs a blockbuster budget to justify its worth, but other mid-budget films released this year, such as “Wuthering Heights" or even “The Sheep Detectives,” do not have these same visual problems. This is despite both films having comparable budgets and similar amounts of CGI to “Practical Magic 2.” (Riley Morgan) A contributor to The Conversation mentions Wide Sargasso Sea in an article about The Other Bennet Sister and new perspectives in reading classic novels. Librotea (in Spanish) lists Jane Eyre among other books in which love wins. Autumn poems on AnneBrontë.org. More Recent Articles
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