Maratona Sorelle Brontë
November 7, 2026 |15:30 h
Il Circolo dei lettori, via Bogino 9, Torino

Le sorelle Brontë hanno scritto romanzi immortali, capolavori della narrativa ottocentesca pieni di pathos ed emozione. Ai romanzi si aggiungono i versi, nei quali emerge il fascino della natura selvaggia delle brughiere dello Yorkshire, tra distese d’erica, roccia e foschia. Un pomeriggio per riscoprire le loro voci, tra incanto, disperazione e il desiderio insopprimibile di affermare la propria identità.

>> h 15.3o

Catherine e Heathcliff. Il cuore selvaggio dell’amore

con Liliana Rampello

Due protagonisti indimenticabili e un amore travolgente: in Cime tempestose Emily Brontë racconta il fantasma dell’eros e dell’eccesso, e un desiderio indicibile che la società vittoriana perbene tiene sepolto nelle sue viscere. È un’attrazione irresistibile, suggellata nell’infanzia, che diventa il destino di due famiglie per tre generazioni.

>> h 16.30

Jane Eyre. Amare senza perdersi

con Carolina Capria

«L’ho sposato, lettore»: con queste parole – una delle citazioni più celebri della letteratura inglese – Charlotte Brontë compie una rivoluzione. Attraverso Jane Eyre e Mr Rochester esploriamo una relazione che sfida le gerarchie del suo tempo e immagina un amore fondato sulla parità, la libertà e il riconoscimento reciproco.

>> h 17.30

Il giardino e la brughiera

con Susanna Basso

Dopo aver lavorato alle edizioni italiane di Jane Austen, la traduttrice si è incamminata nella brughiera in compagnia di Jane Eyre, affrontando il capolavoro di Charlotte Brontë. Il lavoro non è stato semplice e lo racconta in questo incontro condividendo pensieri e sensazioni che l’hanno accompagnata nel corso di questo lungo viaggio.

Further information in La Repubblica. 

   

The Poetry of Emily Brontë

by Dr. Greta Colombani

November 7, 18:00 GMT

Zoom

Greta Colombani on the strange and powerful poetry of Emily Brontë.

During her short, private life, Emily Brontë agreed to share with readers outside her family only twenty-one of her poems, which appeared in the first book published by the Brontë sisters under pseudonyms and at their own expense: Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (1846). Far from spontaneous, this act of sharing was prompted by a violation that had at first infuriated her. Charlotte had come up with the idea for the collection after discovering the notebooks where Emily had been secretly transcribing the poems she had been writing since her teenage years. 

While the book ended up only selling two copies one year after publication, Emily’s poetry continues to attract and captivate readers today as a possible window into the soul of one of the most elusive and mysterious figures in English literature. This lecture will offer a journey through the lyrical depth, visionary intensity, and rich variety of Emily’s published and unpublished poems, from her fierce confrontations with loss, confinement, and her own mortality, to her evocations of the sublime, solitary wildness of the moors, to the several tales of violence, passion, and betrayal set in Gondal, the mythic country that she had invented with Anne as young adolescents and that never ceased to haunt her imagination.

Set text: Emily Brontë, Complete Poems, ed. Janet Gezari (Penguin, 1992). Greta will focus on particular poems from this volume; details will be sent to everyone who books.

   

“We are talking about the Victorian period, after all,” says Sue Newby, learning officer at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, England. But even still, these critics were the minority. The book was an immediate bestseller, and has only grown more popular in the nearly 180 years since. 

That’s why Ms. Newby – and many parents – are so stumped by the novel’s recent debut on PEN America’s banned books list. This year, at least three Texas school districts restricted access to the novel as state lawmakers try to rid public school libraries of what they consider explicit content. 

Even more perplexing is where the book is being celebrated: China. The country known for its strict internet and literary censorship just made “Jane Eyre” required reading for ninth graders from Beijing to Chengdu. The mixed reception hints at authorities’ shifting priorities in both countries. 

“Maybe this isn’t the truth anymore, but we still think of America as being this kind of bastion of liberal values, and we think of China as being the opposite,” Ms. Newby says. “It’s very ironic.” 

Reader, nobody knows. 

Two Texas school districts – McAllen and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City – have announced plans to move “Jane Eyre” out of middle school libraries, citing compliance with Senate Bill 13. That’s a law passed last year that redefines what qualifies as harmful, indecent, or profane content in library books. New Braunfels’ school district went a step further, restricting the title to advanced literature students only.

Yet supporters of the bill, which also gives parents and school districts greater oversight of school library catalogs, say that books like “Jane Eyre” were never the intended targets.

“‘Jane Eyre’ is not profane, it is not indecent,” says Bonnie Wallace, a grassroots activist who helped lead the campaign to scrutinize the content of public school libraries. She suspects that some school districts “are going well beyond the intention of SB13 and trying to make it seem like [the law] is overreaching or exclusionary or reactionary.”

Another theory: These districts have all used AI “pretty extensively,” says Anne Russey, co-founder of the Texas Freedom to Read Project, which might have erroneously flagged “Jane Eyre” as problematic.

To be sure, the novel tackles some heavy themes, including mental illness. But Abigail Gordy, a mother who recently moved with her family from Schertz, Texas, to San Antonio because of the book bans, says these things are part of life.

“There’s nothing in there that’s too dark for an intermediate child to read. They see way worse online,” she says, adding that restricting children’s access to books “makes us closed-minded.”

Ms. Newby calls it a “perfect transition novel,” teaching teens resilience, compassion, and the importance of speaking truth to power as they start to confront the adult world for the first time. [...]

Her story has taught generations of young readers “to love ourselves and other people around us,” says Zhao Dongqing, a mother and physician in Beijing. “It’s very good for teenagers to read – as well as for adults.” 

For Ethan Huang, a ninth-grade student who recently finished reading “Jane Eyre,” it was the childhood scenes that resonated the most – particularly when a young Jane stood up to her principal. “This made me think,” he says, standing outside a large bookstore in the Xidan neighborhood of Beijing. “I can take the initiative. When the teacher says something wrong, I will point [it] out.”

“How students respond to Rochester has changed quite a lot,” says Ms. Newby. “Young girls are much less romantic about him than I used to be.” 

Instead, they’re more likely to see Jane’s marriage as “a cop out,” and say she “should have blazed her own trail and gone off traveling” at the end. (Lindsey McGinnis)

   

The Brontë Society, the charity that has protected and preserved the legacy of the Brontë family for over 130 years, has been awarded a grant of £232,058 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. As the Brontë Parsonage Museum looks towards its centenary in 2028, this funding will safeguard the Brontës’ internationally significant heritage for generations to come.  

As the Brontë Society’s collection has outgrown its current storage capacity, more comprehensive, secure and maintained storage is needed. Plans for the necessary creation of a new, purpose built, environmentally controlled space will now be progressed with the support of this funding, alongside the development of a site-wide masterplan that will include the Museum and a trio of buildings on West Lane, Haworth.

The funding project, entitled ‘The Road to Resilience’, will support several key elements for the Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum, through:

• The creation of new, bespoke storage and the relocation of what is an Arts Council England ‘Designated’ collection of over 8,000 objects - and the world’s largest collection of Brontë-related material
• Exploring the viability of conserving and re-using spaces in the recently acquired nearby historic buildings on West Lane.
• Documenting specialist curatorial expertise for the long-term benefit of staff, volunteers, researchers and visitors.

Rebecca Yorke, Director of the Brontë Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: “As we approach the Brontë Parsonage Museum's centenary in 2028, we have a responsibility not only to celebrate everything that has been achieved over the past one hundred years, but also to ensure this remarkable collection is protected for the next century and beyond.

“’The Road to Resilience’ is about laying those foundations. Through developing plans for improved, bespoke storage and preserving the specialist knowledge of our team through dedicated time spent capturing decades of expertise from the curatorial team, we can ensure the Brontës' extraordinary legacy continues to inspire staff, researchers, visitors and future generations.”

A part-time Project Curator has been recruited to oversee the sensitive relocation of the collections, coordinate updates to curatorial records and lead the capture of institutional knowledge as part of ‘The Road to Resilience’. During the process of transferring, logging and digitising the extensive collection, which features items used during the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne including early writings and drawings; poetry manuscripts and diary papers; correspondence; clothing; jewellery; locks of hair and household possessions; there will be opportunities for volunteers to engage with the collection.

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “The Brontës hold a special place in the literary heritage of England, so we are delighted to support the Brontë Society with a grant to work towards a strong and resilient future for the organisation and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. It is fantastic news that thanks to National Lottery players, the Society can now develop plans to shape its future and continue to inspire the next generation as it approaches its centenary.”

‘The Road to Resilience’ project is due to be delivered between autumn 2026-2027, ahead of the centenary year celebrations for the Museum.

Olivia Marcus as Jane Eyre was astounding. Her mannerisms perfectly portrayed an honest, “poor, obscure, plain, little Jane”. Her depiction of this wonderfully peculiar and lonely character had all the confusion and frustration of someone trapped in the wrong circumstances and time. Her Mr Rochester (Gabriel Akuwudike) was wickedly manipulative with a marked dark streak, although Akuwudike managed to add complexity in the way he depicted Mr Rochester’s underlying affection and vulnerability. Special mention must go to Andrea Gatchalian, who absolutely dazzled the audience with her multiple roles as Helen and Adele. Adorable Adele (Gatchalian) brought some much-needed opportunities for lightness and laughter, and her bouncy childish joy and silliness gave the performance a balance. Leo Wan as Brocklehurst was as sinister as can be and had me quaking in my boots. Overall, the cast were incredible and made the production seamless and captivating.

The staging was sparse, featuring almost all the action on huge steps. This allowed, and indeed needed, a well thought-out and clever use of the space. The steps allowed hierarchies to be immediately clear, as well as allowing the small cast of eight to hustle and bustle around, using vertical space to make the supporting cast seem more numerous. The choreography (Natasha Harrison) was stylised and worked really well to add a dreamlike quality to the production. Movement and repetition were also used very cleverly to mark the passing of time and depict the gruelling and thankless routines that built the early part of Jane’s life.

It’s so tricky to translate a novel to a stage, especially one that’s so heavy with inner monologue and a central, isolated character. However, the genius way that this production tackled that not only successfully achieved this goal, but it demonstrated a new depth to Jane Eyre’s character. Even with a relatively small cast, it often felt like there was a larger chorus due to the ever-changing costumes, characters and frequent stylised movement. Shadows and clever lighting (Sánchez Roldán) often enhanced the feeling that the cast were more numerous. Cast members also frequently stood at the sides, observing the action, giving the whole performance an eerie feel of some unknown spectator.

I will not give out any spoilers, but the climax of the performance was heart-stopping – even if you’re a Jane Eyre nerd like me and already know the ending! This show was all-out genius; from the direction to the adaptation, and from the lighting to every single member of the cast. A true-to-text production, with ongoing and occasionally explosive airs of madness, loneliness, self-doubt and secrets. This was truly a triumph! (Melina Turner-Deeks)