Anne Brontë In Her Own Words

Bradford Literature Festival Digital Programme 2020

The Brontë sisters – Emily, Charlotte and Anne – are often talked about in one breath without considering their own unique personalities.

Anne Brontë’s work, which included novels Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, address feminist issues that are still subject to debate and discussion today. But what do these novels tell us about Anne herself, and do her poems and letters reveal more?

In this panel discussion, chaired by Bidisha, Brontë experts Adelle Hay, Samantha Ellis and Marianne Thormählen look at what we can learn about the ‘real’ Anne Brontë as a writer and as a woman.

[everynewdayisablessing]

What a fabulous discussion. Thank you to Adelle for coming to Charlotte's rescue. I also think she did it to protect her sisters, and definitely not to harm them, or out of jealousy as some think. The Brontes were very close-knit family, none of them were married ( apart from Charlotte in her last year of life) so they were very very close. Charlotte even forgave Branwell for all the problems they had with him, she couldn't have possibly been intentionally cruel to Anne's work. That's what I think anyway and I'm one of 5 sisters, so I know what is it like to be from a big family. Two of us are writers.

[melenatorr]

I feel I must respectfully disagree with the assessment of Anne's poetry: she isn't in the same league as Emily because she is focusing, for the most part, on different topics and ideas. Her introspection and self examination are different in tone and intent - I'm thinking specifically of "Self Communion", which is a marvel of unflinching self discourse and direction. For my part, I would be very sorry to have no acquaintance with her verse, and at times, I feel it speaks to me more directly than Emily can do. Anne communicates and probes. She questions, she faces unpleasant truths ("Domestic Peace", for example, as well as "Last Lines"). She looks for answers and is honest when there are none. There is no pretense in her verse, and I feel all the better for having it.

[marylynnchambers]

Amazing collection of insights regarding Anne Brontë - thanks!

[deaconpaulsandersonocds]

Very interesting discussion. Certainly, for the time, Anne was a feminist but by today's understanding of the term, I think Anne would have been very far from a feminist. There is much about today's feminist philosophy that Anne would have wholeheartedly disagreed with.

[markhodgson]

Oh i wish i could have met her on the beach and talked