THE YEAR is drawing to a close, but we still have lots to look forward to before we get there!

This month’s Parsonage Unwrapped, on Friday, November 30, has the quirky title, ‘The Brontës on Tour’, and presents the opportunity to learn more about what happens when we loan items to other organisations.

In 2016, The Morgan Library and Museum in New York City presented An Independent Will, an exhibition featuring manuscripts and possessions of Charlotte Brontë.

Our curator, Sarah Laycock, will share the fascinating details behind the planning of the transatlantic touring exhibition, so this is a great chance to learn more about the complex preparations undertaken to share these priceless artefacts with an international audience. Tickets cost £20/£17.50 and include a glass of wine.

Our final free Tuesday talk of the year asks the question ‘Who was Emily Brontë’? We’ve spent all year asking this question in various guises, so we thought it fitting to end the year pondering both the myths and the truths about the most enigmatic Brontë sibling. The talk is free with admission to the museum, and takes place in our cellar at 2pm.

And we have something a little unusual – and fun! – taking place on December 5: a live recording of the hit podcast Bonnets At Dawn. ‘Austen vs. Brontë: Bonnets at Dawn’ is a weekly literary podcast that compares and contrasts the lives and work of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. The show is hosted by writers Lauren Burke (Team Brontë) and Hannah K Chapman (Team Austen) who will seek to unravel the mysteries of the ‘coolest’ Brontë sister.

Along with a panel of experts, comprising Brontë scholar, Dr Claire O’Callaghan, illustrator Isabel Greenberg (whose graphic novel based on the Brontës’ childhood stories is due out next year) and Parsonage staff Amy Rowbottom and Lauren Livesey, they will cover a wide range of topics including Emily’s juvenilia and feminism in Wuthering Heights. This event is free with admission to the museum, and recording is anticipated to take approximately two hours, between 1-3pm. Places are secured on a first-come first-served basis.

We approach the final three weeks of our screening of Lily Cole’s film ‘Balls’, so if you haven’t yet seen it, you need to visit December 3!‘Balls’ is approximately eight minutes long. It’s an incredibly moving film, taking as its starting point Heathcliff, the foundling character central to Wuthering Heights, and the film explores links between the London-based Foundling Hospital story, and Emily’s novel. The film is free with admission to the museum.

My next piece – the final one of the year – will let you know what we’re up to this Christmas, and I can reveal details of our plans for January and beyond. For any further information take a look at our website bronte.org.uk/whats-on or call us on 01535 640192.