‘I’m just going to write because I cannot help it’ – Charlotte Brontё

I wasn’t planning on posting again so soon but was quite intrigued by this subject. I’ve seen quite a few tweets over the last few days regarding Lily Cole and the Brontё Society. If you haven’t seen anything about it, 2018 is the bi-centenary of Emily Brontё’s birth. Lily Cole has been appointed as creative partner for the commemoration led by the Bronte Parsonage Museum in West Yorkshire. Part of this included her making a short film about Heathcliff, from Brontё’s Wuthering Heights amongst other things. The reason it’s been in the news is because literature expert Nick Holland has resigned from the Society in protest over the decision. At first I thought this was a black and white issue but now I’m not so sure. 

In Holland’s blog post, which you can read here, his main two issues with the decision seem to be:

- the fact that Cole was chosen in order to attract a younger audience to the parsonage

- the fact that she’s a supermodel

I can clearly see why the Society chose Cole, and agree with the fact that they do need to attract new members, even if it is just for economic reasons. Holland argues that the Parsonage can run well enough with just older and middle aged visitors, but surely this isn’t the point? Surely the Society should want to attract younger members, and pass their knowledge and passion on to a new generation? As a member of the Society, he should be welcoming the chance to bring younger people in, which Cole’s involvement, like it or not, will do. To be honest, the blog reads as though it has underlying sexism running through it; that Cole is just a young, silly model not able to comprehend the political and literary importance of the Brontё’s. 

I visited the Parsonage in summer of 2015; it was a beautiful and haunting experience (Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre being two of mine and my mum’s favourite books), but I agree getting young people interested isn’t the easiest thing to do. Brontё is not everyone’s cup of tea. But I also don’t think the way to attract younger members is by bringing in so much media that the authentic feeling of the Parsonage is lost, which is what Holland is arguing (but to be honest that’s a whole other argument.)

Secondly, yes Cole has been a model - which Holland has no issue in presenting as a bad thing. However, as she said in her statement, which you can read here, (referring to the fact that the Bronte’s first published under pseudonyms), “Now I find myself wondering, fleetingly, if I should present the short film I am working on for the Brontё Parsonage Museum under a pseudonym myself, so that it will be judged on its own merits, rather than on my name, my gender, my image or my teenage decisions.” Cole is an actress, has a double first class degree in Art History from Cambridge and supports a variety of humanitarian and environmental causes. She also seems to have a genuine interest in the Brontё’s and in celebrating these events in a sensitive manner - what could be more important?

Holland argues that a writer should have been appointed instead but in the same post berates writer Simon Armitage (for the record I think he's a brilliant poet - one of my favourite's of his is Harmonium, which you can read here), for the writing of one of his plays about Helen of Troy, dubbing it 'the worst play I have ever seen'. So yes, the society could have chosen a writer, but clearly it had to be a writer that Holland approved of? The whole thing just seems too silly and prejudiced for words. To me, it seems the same old story of someone of an older generation being set in their ways which, considering the stance the Brontё’s made for female writers, seems ironic. Holland is over reacting, projecting prejudiced views onto an event that is supposed to be a celebration and has managed to be quite rude in the process. Either way, by resigning Holland has brought the Brontё Parsonage and the bi-centenary events into the press, and that can only be a good thing.

About the Bronte's:

- Visit the Parsonage! It's really touching to be able to walk round their house and the lovely village of Haworth (lots of quirky cafes and vintage shops galore). There are also loads of beautiful walks in the moors, which are amazing in summer when the purple heather is at its best https://www.bronte.org.uk/
   - Read their books - Jane Eyre (Charlotte) and Wuthering Heights (Emily) are my favourites, which annoys me as they're the most well known.
   - If you're not a reader, there are brilliant film versions of the books. My favourites are the 2011 Jane Eyre starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell and the 2009 Wuthering Heights starring Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley (this is one of my fav films ever, it's beautifully done)
   - Watch 'To Walk Invisible', the 2016 film made about the sisters. Despite some historical inaccuracies, it's a nice introduction to their lives and also touches on their brother, Branwell, and the struggles he faced