'The Brontës actually created some of the first fanfiction'

When writing in a national newspaper it might not be enough to say 'the other day, I read...'. Sources are important when trying to make a point and it's not the same reading something on twitter or on a scholar publication. From The Telegraph:

. . .  but ‘retro-transing’ is all the rage. The other day, I read that George Elliot and Charlotte Brontë were trans. Whatever. (Suzanne Moore)

Surely the relevance of that statement would hinge on the source, wouldn't it?

The AU Review features Phoebe Wynne‘s debut novel, Madam.

While the stories Rose uses from Greek mythology often contain violent acts perpetrated against the heroines, or that they themselves are driven to out of desperation, the violent finale of Madam (prefaced in the prologue) seemed somewhat unnecessary. It called to mind Du Maurier’s Rebecca and Brontë’s Jane Eyre, two books which this novel seems to be actively (and unnecessarily) trying to emulate – but did not offer any real solution to the problems raised by the novel. (Emily Paull)

Writer Georgina Morrison discusses fanfiction on Mamamia.

At that point, my big story was in its complete powerhouse phase. We were studying Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and talking about how the siblings had all been very successful writers. 

“The Brontës actually created some of the first fanfiction,” I contributed. All eyes turned on me.

My teacher blinked. “What is fanfiction?” 

I explained, and she shrugged.

“Never heard of it,” she responded.

Los Altos Patch recommends  travelling to the Peak District and mentions its Jane Eyre links. Spitalfields Life has a post on the famous Cornhill door with a panel depicting Charlotte and Anne Brontë meeting Thackeray.

Oh, and by the way, the new raven at the Tower of London whose name was to be voted by the public has finally been named Branwen (not Brontë).