175th anniversary of Branwell Brontë's death

First of all, on a Sunday morning like today, September 24th, Branwell Brontë died at home.

The Hindu's Frontline features Learned By Heart by Emma Donoghue, 'a historical novel fictionalising the love affair between two teenaged girls from Victorian England—the diarist Anne Lister (1791-1840) and her fellow pupil at the residential Manor School of York, Eliza Raine (1791-1860)'.

Here one recalls the heroines of the Brontës, who bite, shriek, and rave as they refuse to fit into the shape of docile, rule-abiding “good women”, which society has earmarked for them. (The Brontës probably knew Lister, whose scandalous lifestyle made ripples in their native Yorkshire. Critics have speculated that the moneyed and feisty Shirley of Charlotte Brontë’s eponymous novel is based on Lister.) (Anusua Mukherjee)

'Might have heard of' or 'probably knew of' would be more appropriate than just 'probably knew', though.

The Irish Times highlights some new YA releases such as Yours From The Tower by Sally Nicholls.

Building on her previous historical fiction exploring the restrictions on women in society, the award-winning, always-excellent Sally Nicholls moves to the late Victorian era in her newest venture, Yours From The Tower (Andersen Press, £14.99). Three boarding-school friends write to one another as they begin their very different new lives – Tirzah, “trapped” as the new companion to her strict grandmother; Sophia, the ”poor relation” being given a chance at the Season by a generous aunt; and Polly, teaching in an orphanage.

Despite an ostensibly modern education, things have not quite worked out how any of them had hoped. “Somehow at school we seemed to have more options,” Sophia writes as she does her duty and tries to charm a rich gentleman into proposing. “We were always learning about Florence Nightingale, or the Brontë sisters, or Queen Victoria. It seemed quite likely that we would all grow up to be great women, probably without having to try very hard. Real life, it turns out, isn’t like that at all.” Fairytale references are woven throughout, but also interrogated; we root for these girls to get happy endings while understanding the confines of their world. This immersive, uplifting book is an absolute delight. (Claire Hennessy)

Telva (Spain) interviews Raquel Bada, who founded the publishing house Bamba Editorial, whose aim is to vindicate so-called forgotten women writers in Spain.

¿Por qué crees que sigue siendo necesario publicar a mujeres?

Es muy necesario publicar a mujeres para reivindicar un lugar dentro de lo que es el canon literario. Esta labor dejará de ser importante cuando cojas un libro escolar y veas que aparecen mujeres ahí. Por ejemplo, veo amigas que son profesoras y que quieren enseñar a sus alumnas y alumnos obras como la de Quiroga (O Brontë o Carmen Laforet) y no entran dentro del sistema educativo. Los estudiantes acaban con los mismos libros de siempre. Yo que soy de los 90, casi no estudié a mujeres, ni en literatura ni en el arte. Esta labor dejará de ser importante cuando cojas un libro escolar y veas que aparecen mujeres ahí (y no una como mero ejemplo ). (Elena López Ávila) (Translation)

We wholeheartedly agree with her.