The Brontës Fiction
10 March 2027
11:00am-12:30pm
Online
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online
Dates:
10 March 2027 - 14 April 2027
Study Format:
Online - live
Fees:
£75.00
They died at just 29, 38, and 30. Their mother died when they were very young; their two elder sisters at 11 and 10. Their brother, struggling with addiction, died at 31. When one sister wrote to the Poet Laureate seeking encouragement, she received only a discouraging reply. Their first publication—a joint collection of poems under androgynous pseudonyms—barely sold: 'in the space of a year our publisher has disposed but of two copies.'
And yet as children, they created intricate and imaginative fantasy worlds of remarkable sophistication. Within a single year, they published three of the most enduring and beloved novels in the English language – and two of them went on to write more.
Join Sandie Byrne, one of the department's first female professors, and explore the lives of Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Brontë: their family, their home, and the extraordinary creative world they built together. The series will examine the subjects and themes of their writing, and come to understand the styles and techniques that make each sister’s work so distinctive, powerful, and enduring.
Register for the whole series or individual lectures
For this lecture series, you can register for the entire series by clicking 'Book Now' on this page or you can register for individual lectures via the links below.
Please note: enrolments for the complete series will close at 23:59 GMT on 7 March 2027. Enrolments for each individual lecture will close two days before each lecture.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
IT requirements
We will be using Zoom for the livestreaming of this lecture series, and you will be able to submit questions via the Zoom interface. Joining instructions will be sent out prior to the start date. We recommend that you join the session at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start time – just as you might arrive a bit early at our lecture theatre for an in-person event.
Please note that this lecture series will not be recorded.
Recommended reading
Brontë, Charlotte, Jane Eyre (Oxford World’s Classics, 2008).
Brontë, Emily, Wuthering Heights (Oxford World’s Classics, 2009).
Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World’s Classics, 2008).
These and the other novels are available for free legal download at Project Gutenberg.
Programme details
Lectures take place on Wednesdays, 11.00-12.30pm (GMT)
Wednesday 10 March
Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
Wednesday 17 March
Charlotte Brontë, Villette
Wednesday 24 March
Charlotte Brontë, Shirley
Wednesday 31 March
Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey
Wednesday 7 April
Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Wednesday 14 April
Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
How and when to watch
Each lecture will last approximately 1 hour, followed by questions.
Please join in good time before each lecture to ensure that you have no connection problems. We recommend joining 10-15 minutes before the start time.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Event fee | £75.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Payment
Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.
Prof Sandie Byrne
Sandie Byrne is Associate Professor of English Literature and Director of Studies in English, OUDCE and a Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford. She is the author of a number of books and articles on nineteenth- and twentieth-century writing.
Please use the ‘Book’ button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us on events@conted.ox.ac.uk to obtain an application form.
You can also register for individual lectures if you do not wish to attend the whole series.
