7th Brontë Festival of Women's Writing

A festival showcasing and celebrating women's writing at the Brontë Parsonage Museum:

7th Brontë Festival of Women's WritingSeptember 22- September 24

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë were pioneering women writers and continue to inspire contemporary literature in limitless ways. The Museum is delighted to be hosting its seventh festival dedicated to showcasing and celebrating women's writing.

Friday 22 September from 7pm
Cobbles and Clay
Getting Yourself Out There! Self-Publishing and Self-Promotion 

with academic Laurie Garrison, and novelists Sarah Dunnakey, Jane Davis and Helen Taylor. The festival kicks off with this evening focuses on the growth of alternative publishing methods, and our  panel will share their experiences of self-promotion and the dos and don'ts when developing your audience.

Saturday 23 September from 2pm
Brontë Parsonage Museum
Stepping Into the Sisters's Shoes: Writing Workshop with Liz Flanagan

Are you a teenage girl who likes to write? Join YA author Liz Flanagan for a writing workshop here at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. In this workshop devised especially for girls aged 12-16, Liz will lead a series of writing exercises, designed to be fun and accessible. Attendees will also be invited to take a walk through the Museum and draw inspiration from the collections to create a new piece of writing.


Saturday 23 September, 2:30pm
Venue: West Lane Baptist Cente, Haworth
Adapting the Brontés with Rachel Joyce and Deborah McAndrew

The novels of the Brontës are among the most commonly adapted in literature. Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall have been brought to life as plays, ballets, films, operas and radio dramas. Join novelist Rachel Joyce and playwright Deborah McAndrew as they discuss the challenges inherent in adapting some of the world’s best loved fictional texts to suit a new medium.

Saturday 23 September, 7:30pm
West Lane Baptist Centre, Haworth
Sarah Perry: Meet the Author of The Essex Serpent

Novelist Sarah Perry talks about her bestselling novel The Essex Serpent. Set in 1893 and firmly rooted in the author’s home county of Essex, The Essex Serpent follows Cora, a keen amateur naturalist convinced that what the local people think is a magical beast may be a previously undiscovered species, and William Ransome, a local vicar who sees the rumours as a distraction to the true faith.

Sunday 24 September, 10:30am
Ponden Hall, Stanbury
Writing for Stage: A Workshop wth Deborah McAndrew

Join playwright Deborah McAndrew for a workshop on writing for the stage, which will combine her extensive advice and experience with more practical exercises, and  a focus on the particular challenges of adapting classic novels.

Sunday 24 September, 02:00pm
Ponden Hall, Stanbury
Writing for Radio: A Workshop with Rachel Joyce

Rachel Joyce, award-winning novelist and author of BBC Radio 4’s Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey and Shirley, hosts a workshop on writing for radio covering the essentials of the medium – ‘telling’ instead of ‘seeing’ and some of the dos and don’ts of audio drama. Rachel has also written over twenty original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all the Brontë novels.