All the Bronte sisters were talented artists from an early age; In 1836, aged 16, Anne Bronte drew this sublime "Man with a dog before a villa"

#otd 1847 Charlotte Bronte sends Jane Eyre to publisher George Smith. He later recalled how he picked it up on a Sunday morning, cancelled a dinner party, turned away visitors and had read the book by the time he went to bed. It was published less than two months later.

In today's new Bronte blog post we look at the early art of Anne Bronte, and how her love of art is reflected in her novels too: annebronte.org/2024/08/25/the…

On #InternationalDogDay here are portraits of Keeper and Grasper by Emily Bronte, of Flossy by Anne Bronte and finally a sketch by Emily showing both Keeper and Flossy (and Emily herself sketching them.)

#InternationalDogDay has passed, but after yesterday's tweet of the Bronte dogs I had to share a picture of my stepdog Matisse - I love him to bits! #dogsaregreat

Still in great condition 170 years after it was worn, Charlotte Bronte's Wedding bonnet:

Yesterday we saw Charlotte Bronte's wedding bonnet, here is the bridesmaid bonnet worn by her best friend Ellen Nussey. Perhaps wedding bonnets should make a comeback?

I was excited when I saw BBC4 was showing Wallander tonight, only to tune in to find it's the dull Kenneth Branagh version rather than the sublime Krister Henriksson version. I wish they'd show that again!

In London researching the life of film producer Dyson Lovell. As always I'm staying across the Thames from the St Paul's/Chapter Coffee House area the Brontes knew. Tonight I'm off to see Carmen at the Royal Albert Hall #BBCProms

Carmen was astounding at the #BBCProms tonight. So many wonderful performances, but Janai Brugger was incredible as Micaela.

The London around St Paul's Cathedral has been changed by war and modernisation, but we can still get glimpses of the area the Bronte sisters knew and of the Chapter Coffee House they stayed in:

The Chapter Coffee House in 1843, the year after Charlotte Bronte stayed there with Emily Bronte and five years before she stayed there with Anne Bronte:

In today's new post we look at the Bronte sisters in the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral, London: annebronte.org/2024/09/01/the…

#otd 1843 Charlotte Bronte in Brussels writes to Emily Bronte in Haworth to tell how "an odd whim" came into her head - she has been to confession in the Catholic cathedral, but warns Emily not to tell their C of E priest father! She will later recreate the scene in Villette.

Ah, the highlight of my tv viewing week: Call My Bluff on BBC4. I adored watching this as a child, which probably explains why I've turned out like I have 😂

This is the upright piano played by Emily and Anne Bronte. It's now restored and working again, but a Haworth Parsonage volunteer once told me she unlocked and opened the building and heard it playing - before it had a mechanism in it!

Portraits of Anne Bronte (left) and her mother Maria. Anne never knew her mother who died when Anne was just one year old, but I think there's definitely a family likeness between them! Ellen Nussey said Anne looked quite different to her sisters.

What a lovely couple Scott and Sam are on #RaceAcrossTheWorld, celebrity, fame and money are nice (presumably) but love really is all you need.

#otd 1850 Charlotte Bronte gives the green light to her publisher to publish new editions of books by her late sisters Emily and Anne Bronte - except for The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall, of which Charlotte says: "it hardly appears to me desirable to preserve."

Really looking forward to #wdytya tonight - Rose Ayling-Ellis is my favourite ever Strictly champ, and a real inspiration.