First Editions and A-Levels

Daily Express reports that a set of first editions of Brontë novels is soon going under the hammer:

In the week following the 198th birthday of Charlotte Brontë, books will become available at the sale of Important Books and Manuscripts held by Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions on Monday 19th May at their saleroom in London..
The books were published under the sisters’ pseudonyms and include one on the most famous novels in the English language, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë.
The other works comprise Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, 1847; Agnes Grey, by Anne Brontë, 1847; The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Brontë, 1848; Shirley, by Charlotte Brontë, 1849; Villette by Charlotte Brontë, 1853; The Professor, by Charlotte Brontë, 1857; and the Brontë Family with special reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë, 1886.
The sisters started writing at a young age to escape the tragedy of their mother’s death and the death of their two older sisters.
They also took inspiration from the countryside around their home in the village of Haworth, Yorkshire, where they lived with their brother Patrick Bramwell.
In 1846 they devised pen names that would disguise their gender whilst preserving their initials, thus Charlotte, Emily and Anne became Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.
‘Bell’ was the middle name of Haworth’s curate Arthur Bell Nicholls, whom Charlotte later married.
The set was collected by American lawyer Thomas Lincoln Chadbourne (1871-1938), founder of Chadbourne & Parke, it was passed to his daughter Marjorie Chandbourne, and then by descent in the family. 

Further information can be found on the auctioners' website. Such as the fact that the set also includes Francis A. Leyland's The Brontë Family.

[The Brontë sisters]. A collection of first edition novels, comprising Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. Edited by Currer Bell, 3 vol., half-titles, without the advertisements in vol.I, last f. in vol.I seemingly slightly trimmed and remargined at inner margin, with further small paper repair to lower edge, some minor marking and very light oxidising, lacking sections from spines, 2 covers detached, others cracked or pulling, Smith, Elder, and Co., 1847; Wuthering Heights. A Novel, by Ellis Bell [-] Agnes Grey. A Novel, by Acton Bell, together 3 vol., without half-titles as issued, without the advertisements in vol.III, 3 misnumbered pages, some light age-toning, spotting to vol.I title, a few straightened dog-ear place-marks, overall internally very good, wear and superficial loss to spines ends, 3 covers detached, other hinges cracked or pulling, Thomas Cautley Newby , 1847;
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. By Acton Bell, 3 vol., vol.I lacking half-title, vol.II & III without half-title as issued, light age-toning, occasional other minor marking to margins, but overall internally very good, vol.I rebacked with cloth preserving the leather spine, spines worn, 2 covers detached, other hinges cracked or pulling, T.C. Newby, 1848; Shirley. A Tale, by Currer Bell, 3 vol., without half-titles as issued, vol.I with 16pp. publisher's catalogue dated October 1849, vol.III 3pp. advertisements, light damp-stain affecting lower fore-corner up to C1 in vol.I, some light marginal toning and occasional minor marking, overall internally very good, spines worn with some superficial loss, one cover detached, other hinges cracked or pulling, Smith, Elder and Co. , 1849;
Villette. By Currer Bell, 3 vol., without half-titles as issued, without the advertisements in vol.I, vol.III R2 with closed tear to lower margin, vol.III hinges repaired, a little light age-toning and occasional minor finger-marking, but overall internally very good, vol.III rebacked with cloth preserving the leather spine, joints worn, Smith, Elder & Co., 1853; The Professor, A Tale. By Currer Bell, 2 vol., half-titles, vol.I 2pp. advertisement for Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Brontë, vol.II 8pp advertisements for the Currer, Ellis & Acton Bell but without the 16pp. publisher's catalogue at end, spines worn at ends, hinges cracked with one cover detached, lower cover of vol.I scuffed, Smith, Elder & Co. , 1857, [Smith 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7] §
Leyland (Francis A.) The Brontë Family with special reference to Patrick Branwell Brontë, 2 vol., half-titles, spines worn with superficial loss, vol.II rebacked with cloth preserving leather spines, vol.I covers detached, [Yablon & Turner 344], Hurst and Blackett , 1886, first editions, uniformly bound in full calf, gilt, by Riviere & Son, with additional ink stamp of Bumpus to top edge of front fly-leaf verso, t.e.g., others as issued, 8vo (19)
 An excellent opportunity to acquire a complete set of the Brontë sisters' novels in first edition and internally in very good condition.

The books were collected by Thomas Lincoln Chadbourne (1871-1938), descending in the family to his daughter Marjorie Chadbourne, and then by descent in the family to his grand-daughter.
Important Books, Manuscripts & Works on Paper
Monday 19 May 2014, 1.00pm
Bloomsbury London, Bloomsbury House
24 Maddox Street, London, W1S 1PP
Viewing:
14th May 2014 9.30am-5.30pm
15th May 2014 9.30am-5.30pm
16th May 2014 9.30am-5.30pm
18th May 2014 9.30am-5.30pm
Day of Sale from 9.30am

Also in the news today is the news that Russell Brand and Dizzee Rascal will be studied as part of the English A-levels. From The Telegraph:

Teenagers will study Russell Brand and Dizzee Rascal as part of a new English A-level designed to focus on contemporary uses of language, it was announced today.
Pupils will be asked to assess the delivery style, purpose and features of celebrity language under plans being drawn up by one of Britain’s biggest exam boards.
Examiners insisted classics from Shakespeare, William Blake and Charlotte Brontë will be included to give students access to a wide range of English texts.
But the OCR board said use of language in the 21st century would form a key part of the course, which will be introduced for the first time in 2015 as part of a radical overhaul of A-levels. (Graeme Paton)

Further details in The Huffington Post:

The text list includes Russell Brand's evidence on drugs policy which was presented to the House of Commons, pieces by The Secret Footballer, who has written anonymously about professional football, memoirs, the transcript of a BBC Newsnight interview with Dizzee Rascal, poems by Emily Dickinson and William Blake, and works by Orwell, Shakespeare and Charlotte Brontë.

BBC News, The Times, The Mirror, The Daily Mail and several others also cover the story.

The Telegraph and Argus reports that the annual Lord Mayor’s Parade in Bradford will have the theme of ‘Sensational Cinema’ which will include

Picture source

 four distinct parts of the parade, representing in turn black-and-white film, colour film, Bollywood and cinemas.
And this costume, specially designed for the event by local artist Morwenna Catt, promises to be one of the highlights.
The elaborate headdress depicts the story of Brontë classic Wuthering Heights as if adapted into a Bollywood film, and features sheep and brooding moors as well as the lovers Heathcliff and Catherine.

The costume can be seen in full in the video that accompanies the story.

Perth Now lists '101 reasons to love South Australia right now', one of which is

13. Adelaide Hills: Winter in the Hills is part Wuthering Heights, part North of the Wall. It’s foggy, gloomy, chilly and the perfect place to actually wear that thick coat you paid way too much for last season. (Jillian Attrill, Nathan Davies and Jessica Leo)

Book Coasters posts about Jane Eyre. The Brontë Parsonage Facebook page showed Maria Brontë's sampler yesterday in memory of her death on May 6, 1825.