They went up in flames

JSTOR Daily speculates wildly (and nicely) on Emily Brontë's second novel:

One can only imagine what was going through Charlotte Brontë’s mind the day she knelt by the blazing fireplace in Haworth Parsonage, her family home, with her dead sister Emily’s unfinished manuscript clutched in her hands. Did she look at that purposefully tiny, yet passionately scribbled handwriting, and feel the tears rush to her eyes? Did it remind her of the countless afternoons she and her three siblings, all now “gone like dreams,” spent penning stories about their childhood imaginary worlds? Were the papers stamped with flour fingerprints from Emily’s never idle hands, the product of the writer-housekeeper busily moving back and forth from the writing desk to the kitchen, to the writing desk again?

Whatever Charlotte Brontë was thinking, whatever was present on those pages, they went the way of Rochester’s family home: up in flames. (...)

For my part, I remain convinced that Charlotte destroyed the second manuscript not to spite Emily, but to protect her, even at the cost of literary history. We Brontë fanatics are left only to speculate on what the book was about, but at least we can feel gratitude for the existence of Wuthering Heights, arguably the leading masterpiece of the nineteenth century, and at least a wonderfully complete novel. (Emily Zarevich)

Keighley News talks about a new merchandise range inspired by the Brontës:

A Haworth woman has launched a capsule merchandise range inspired by the Bronte sisters.
Brontë Bitch features illustrations on vibrantly-coloured tote bags and T-shirts.
Behind the venture is Rosalia Ferrara, who came-up with the idea during lockdown.
“It came to me out of frustration really during the pandemic last year – from not being able to source a cool Brontë sisters T-shirt for myself to wear,” she said. “And trust me, I tried – after all we did have a lot of time on our hands! (...)
Rosalia is keen that the Brontë Bitch name shouldn’t be misconstrued.
“The brand identity is by no means meant in a derogatory way – nor is it ‘name calling’ of the illustrious Brontë sisters and their followers,” she says.
“I’ve been a fan of the Brontës from an early age – when I lived close by in Ingrow. (...)
Brontë Bitch will be among independent creatives showcasing their work at a pop-up event in the Old School Room – in Church Street, Haworth – on Saturday and Sunday August 7 and 8, from 10am to 4pm. (Alistair Shand)

BookRiot lists Jane Eyre retellings: 

Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics, even though at times it is silly (all the wiggling eyebrows) or problematic (Rochester is super predatory and I hate him). But still, I cannot get enough of Jane Eyre retellings, and when I see a book billed as one, I hit that “buy” button so fast that Rochester has barely had time to stick me in the attic before getting a new governess. (...)
If you’re as obsessed with the eyebrows as me, you’ll want to add these Jane Eyre retellings or Jane Eyre–inspired books to your TBR stat. Not all of these are totally true to the original, so expect some surprises, even if you think you know the story already. (Cassie Gutman)

Eastern Eye interviews the author Aliya Ali-Afzal who chooses her favourite books:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: One of my favourite novels and one I dip into whenever I need comfort or inspiration. The story about an orphaned young girl growing up in 19th century England and her path to becoming an independent, empowered woman was ground-breaking at the time. I love how the book is a page-turner, a romance, and a gothic horror tale all rolled into one. (Priya Mulji)

Gulf News and parenting advice. Creative playing is always good:

A famously interesting example of such imaginative play is the literary Brontë siblings’ construction of a fantasy worlds called the Glass Town and Angria around their new toy soldiers, writing dozens of books of prose and poetry together. The four siblings were aged between six and ten when they started, with Charlotte being the eldest, and wrote these for many years following, going on to become famed writers. (Sraddha Sabu)

Vents Magazine talks about the new video clip by Eleanor K:

Eleanor K will further explore the song’s theme when its official video is released next Wednesday. She stars alongside actor Jack Fox (‘Sanditon’, ‘Rivera’) as a mysterious figure in an enigmatic romance, its desolate photography hinting at the gothic, Yorkshire Moors atmosphere of ‘Wuthering Heights’. The story mimics the relationship that the couple have in real life. The video was directed by the fashion photographer and filmmaker Rhys Frampton. (RJ Frometa)

Mor.bo ( in Spanish) is listing the best songs by Kate Bush:

Wuthering Heights

La canción fue inspirada en gran medida por la adaptación de 1967 de Wuthering Heights, la novela de Emily Brontë, hecha por la BBC: mientras Londres estaba en su climax punk, Kate Bush creaba esta pista que se convertiría en su primer single y definitivamente en uno de los más icónicos de su carrera. Fue publicado el 20 de enero de 1978, alcanzando el número uno en las listas del Reino Unido, en donde permaneció durante cuatro semanas. Además, ¿Cómo olvidar el video del tema? Su empleo de la danza, la mímica y la teatralidad comenzó a anunciar una nueva era para la música pop.(Mirangie Alayon) (Translation)

Unforgettable male literary characters in SoloLibri (Italy):

Un altro grande indimenticabile è Heathcliff di Emily Brontë. L’eroe romantico e maledetto di Cime tempestose non ha eguali: crudele, misterioso, violento e senza pietà, un animale in caccia. Anima tormentata che calpesta tutto e tutti pur di ottenere ciò che desidera, mette in ginocchio ben due famiglie in un gioco micidiale di vendette concatenate. Il male fatto persona. Spesso travisato come uomo passionale che farebbe di tutto per amore, Heathcliff è davvero diabolico. Un personaggio così non si dimentica facilmente. (Serena di Bautista) (Translation)

Being Fictional reviews The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.