'The idea of them being lost to this country is too awful to contemplate'

HRH Prince of Wales has written a piece for the Daily Mail inviting people to 'fight to keep the £15m jewels of our literary crown in Britain', ie the Honresfeld Collection.

This is why, as patron of the Friends of the National Libraries, I recognise the critical importance of their noble campaign to ensure that some of the most precious manuscripts associated with our greatest authors are kept in this country rather than being dispersed abroad.

Just as the drawings and sketches of great painters provide the code to understanding the creative process of an artist such as Titian or Leonardo da Vinci, the manuscripts of a writer are the key to the route by which the author found his or her way to the words which then form part of our collective memory.

In this particular regard, the Honresfield Library is one of the great hidden treasure troves of 19th-century literature, and now that its contents have become available for sale, the Friends of the National Libraries are determined that these manuscripts should remain in the country in which they were formed, and whose culture these works went on to form in their turn.

The jewels in this collection are the manuscripts of Sir Walter Scott with The Lay of the Last Minstrel, together with poems by Robert Burns in his own hand – containing some of his earliest recorded literary works known as the First Commonplace Book – and, of course, the notebooks of Charlotte Brontë.

For anyone who has ever been moved by the words of these incomparable artists, the idea of reading these manuscripts is thrilling beyond words. 

For the same reason, the idea of them being lost to this country is too awful to contemplate. [...]

The campaign to raise £15million to buy this collection is one which benefits the whole United Kingdom, as the Friends have brought together a consortium of libraries from Leeds, Edinburgh, Hampshire, London and beyond.

I know that I share with so many people in this country a love of the literature that is so much a part of our personal and collective histories.

In giving us words to describe our human experience in all its complexity, literature has, truly, helped make us what we are.

In saving these priceless manuscripts for the public, we have the opportunity to ensure that these invaluable records of works of genius will remain in the land where they were created, and where they belong.

The Brontë Society's fundraising of £25,000 is currently at 55% with only until the end of October to reach the target so please do donate towards that if you can.

Last week, Friends of the National Libraries reported that,

We have raised £7.5m, half way to our target! Please do help us make it to the total so that we can save Honresfield Library for the nation.

Nerdist recommends Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood as one of '10 Contemporary Witchy Reads for a Magical Spooky Season'.

The haunting gothic of Jane Eyre gets transported to the vast deserts of Ethiopia in this stunning horror tale inspired by Charlotte Brönte’s classic novel. Blackwood does a great job building out her own lore, impressive magic system, and more here. Andromeda is an exorcist who is hired by Magnus Rochester to cleanse his home. But this is a job like no other, and as she enters she realizes she might never leave. An inventive, original, and legitimately scary debut, this is a must for fans of witchcraft, horror, and romance. (Rosie Knight)

While Book Riot recommends '10 Spooky Romance Novels For The Thrills', including

The Wife in the Attic by Rose Lerner

Gothic stories are always spooky. Especially Jane Eyre retellings.

Penniless Deborah just became the new governess of Goldengrove Manor. Her charge is nice, her employer is dashing, and the Lady of the house is ill. Soon, Deborah starts craving more and more, like becoming Sir Kit’s companion. But there is also something happening in the house and she is ready to find out. (Silvana Reyes Lopez)

Elle (France) asks bookish questions to singer/songwriter Clara Ysé.

ELLE. Quelle lectrice êtes-vous ?

C.Y. Enfant, j'aimais « Le Petit Prince », « Narnia », puis vers 10 ans, « Les Hauts de Hurlevent » ou « Jane Eyre » des sœurs Brontë. Mes parents faisaient beaucoup la fête, et je demandais aux invités, pour m'endormir, de me raconter une histoire qu'ils devaient inventer. J'aimais l'idée que ce récit n'appartenait qu'à cette nuit-là. Jusqu'à la fin de l'adolescence, j'étais une lectrice compulsive. Depuis, il y a des moments où je lis énormément, d'autres où la musique prend le dessus. (Florence Tredez) (Translation)

'“The Strangest Sense of Freedom.” On Jane Eyre and the Power of Narcissism' on LitHub.