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- The Bronte Society publishes Charlotte's lost manuscripts

New book shares previously unpublished work
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Recently-discovered manuscripts by Charlotte Brontë are being published for the first time in a new book from The Brontë Society.

Charlotte Brontë: The Lost Manuscripts reproduces a 77-line poem and a 74-line story written by the author of Jane Eyre while she was in her teens.  The manuscripts were found tipped into a copy of Robert Southey’s The Remains of Henry Kirke White which belonged to Charlotte’s mother, Maria, and which was acquired by The Brontë Society in 2016.   

The Lost Manuscripts contains transcripts and images of the unpublished fragments as well as reproductions of the annotations and sketches made by the Brontë children in their mother’s book.  In addition, four new essays by Brontë scholars Emma Butcher, Barbara Heritage, Sarah E Maier and Ann-Marie Richardson explore the significance of the find.   
There is also an account by Ann Dinsdale, Principal Curator at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, of the remarkable story of how the lost manuscripts made their way back to Haworth Parsonage after spending much of the last 150 years in America.  

John Thirlwell, Chair of the Brontë Society said, “We are thrilled to share these previously-unpublished manuscripts by Charlotte Brontë alongside the family annotations contained within Mrs Brontë’s much-loved book. The Lost Manuscripts is a beautiful and unique publication which we hope will be treasured by lovers of literature and the Brontës across the world.”  

Charlotte Brontë: The Lost Manuscripts (£20) is published by The Brontë Society on 1 November 2018 and is available from www.bronte.org.uk/bronte-shop and other good book shops. ISBN 978-1-903007-20-4
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