In this episode of the Anglotopia Podcast, Jonathan Thomas is joined by Mia Ferullo, Digital Engagement Officer, and Sam, Programme Officer at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, Yorkshire — and co-hosts of the museum’s own acclaimed podcast, Behind the Glass: A Parsonage Podcast. Together they explore what makes the Parsonage one of Britain’s most atmospheric and emotionally resonant literary destinations, from the world’s largest collection of Brontë artefacts to the wild moorland that inspired the novels themselves. The conversation spans the remarkable story of three sisters who published against the odds under male pseudonyms, the often-overlooked legacy of Anne Brontë and patriarch Patrick Brontë, the concept and standout episodes of Behind the Glass, and the swirling cultural moment around Emerald Fennell’s new big-screen adaptation of Wuthering Heights starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Mia and Sam also share practical advice for American Anglophiles planning their first visit to Haworth, including the best time of year to go and how to get there.

Links

• Brontë Parsonage Museum — bronte.org.uk
• Behind the Glass: A Parsonage Podcast
• Keighley and Worth Valley Railway — kwvr.co.uk
• Visit Yorkshire — visityorkshire.com
• Friends of Anglotopia

Takeaways

• The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth is home to the world’s largest collection of Brontë artefacts, including handwritten manuscripts, first editions, writing desks, and extraordinary miniature books the sisters made as children.
• Almost everything on display in the Parsonage is genuine Brontë furniture and objects — not set dressing — making it one of the most authentically preserved literary homes in Britain.
• The Brontë sisters published their novels under male pseudonyms not just for anonymity, but to avoid the prejudice that would have greeted female authors — and the books were still considered shocking and coarse when they appeared.
• Anne Brontë is widely regarded as the most overlooked of the three sisters, lacking the pop culture adaptations and name recognition that Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights have accumulated over generations.
• Patrick Brontë, often cast as a footnote or even a villain in the family story, played a significant role in his daughters’ development — educating them in the classics and sparking their imaginative lives by bringing home a set of toy soldiers for Branwell.
• Behind the Glass: A Parsonage Podcast invites guests to choose a single object from the collection as a jumping-off point, allowing deep dives into rarely seen items — including Charlotte’s tea cosy and its fascinating gendered history.
• Emerald Fennell’s new Wuthering Heights film has driven a surge of visitors to the museum, with people noting in the visitor book that the film brought them to Haworth for the first time.
• Controversy around Wuthering Heights is nothing new — the original 1847 novel was condemned as vulgar and depraved by contemporary reviewers, making modern critical debate very much in keeping with Emily Brontë’s legacy.
• A new television adaptation of Jane Eyre has been announced, which the museum is already looking ahead to as potentially another major cultural moment.
• August is the best month to visit Haworth when the heather is in full purple bloom on the moors, though autumn’s fog and mist give the village an irresistibly gothic atmosphere perfect for Brontë fans.

Soundbites

• “When you go up behind the Parsonage, you’ve got the moorlands. There’s the ruin of Top Withens up there, supposed to be the influence for Wuthering Heights. You feel like you can really step into the pages of the book.” — Sam on Haworth’s atmospheric setting.
• “There are moments where you think, gosh, this all started here where I work, and I’m there every day. They actually wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights in this room, on this writing desk.” — Mia on the weight of working at the Parsonage.
• “The writing desks contain all the same materials the Brontës left in them. Everything’s been preserved exactly as it was when they died.” — Mia on her favourite objects in the collection.
• “It’s believed that Emily died on the sofa. And I think that’s something people find very moving — especially when they’ve come from abroad, because Haworth isn’t easy to get to even if you live in the UK.” — Sam on emotional moments with visitors.
• “They had to use pseudonyms so nobody would know who they were, and there’d be no prejudice against them being women writers. And still the books were called coarse and shocking — people thought women shouldn’t even be reading them.” — Mia on the Brontës publishing against the odds.
• “I think Anne definitely gets overlooked. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights have very much become part of pop culture — there are more movies, more adaptations, pop songs written about them. Anne doesn’t get that same exposure.” — Sam on the most neglected Brontë sister.
• “You can almost compare the Brontës to Shakespeare — how his work is reinterpreted in different settings and time periods. That’s why the Brontës’ work is so timeless. You can draw on certain elements and themes and keep it fresh.” — Sam on why new adaptations keep coming.
• “We never really want to tell visitors what to think. We want people to read the books and make their own minds up.” — Mia on the museum’s approach to literary interpretation.
• “I don’t think we expected it to be quite as big as it was. Seeing all the money that went into the premieres and the marketing — we’ve just been wanting to grab a bit of everything to remember it, because how often does something like this come along?” — Sam on the scale of the Wuthering Heights film moment.
• “It just came from this little house in this little village in Yorkshire.” — Sam on the extraordinary global legacy of the Brontë Parsonage.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction — Jonathan sets the scene at the Brontë Parsonage Museum and introduces Mia and Sam
• 01:39 What Is the Brontë Parsonage Museum? — Location, atmosphere, and what to expect from a visit
• 03:21 Mia’s Role as Digital Engagement Officer — Social media, digital content, and the podcast
• 04:07 Sam’s Role as Programme Officer — Events, workshops, live music, and how she joined the podcast
• 05:18 The Collection — Manuscripts, miniature books, writing desks, and authentic Brontë artefacts
• 06:47 The Weight of the Place — Favourite objects and emotional moments on the job
• 09:50 Behind the Glass Podcast — The format, concept, and how objects anchor each episode
• 10:52 Standout Episodes — Holly Ringland, Charlotte’s tea cosy, and the gendered history of everyday items
• 12:43 Who’s Listening — Reaching new audiences and the American visitors who came because of the podcast
• 14:13 The Brontës for Newcomers — Why the sisters matter and what made their achievement so remarkable
• 15:52 Honouring Each Sister Individually — How the museum balances Charlotte, Emily, and Anne
• 17:51 The Most Overlooked Brontë — Why Anne deserves more attention
• 18:50 Patrick Brontë — His real role in the family and his presence throughout the house
• 20:28 The Moors and the Novels — How the landscape shapes the reader’s understanding of the books
• 21:53 The Wuthering Heights Film Moment — The mood at the museum as the Emerald Fennell adaptation lands
• 23:16 Have They Seen the Film? — Mia and Sam’s reactions, and the Charli XCX album recommendation
• 23:45 Is It a Good Adaptation? — Discussing Fennell’s personal interpretation versus fidelity to the novel
• 26:21 Misreading Wuthering Heights — The novel’s darkness and moral complexity versus its romance reputation
• 27:10 A Long History of Controversy — Why provoking critics is part of Emily Brontë’s legacy
• 27:35 Do Adaptations Drive Visitors? — The film’s impact and the newly announced Jane Eyre series
• 28:41 Jane Eyre Nostalgia — Jonathan’s favourite adaptation and a digression into Wide Sargasso Sea
• 29:38 How to Pronounce Haworth — And why British place names are endlessly confusing
• 30:06 Practical Tips for Visiting — What to expect, how busy it gets, and wear good shoes
• 31:24 Getting There from London — Trains, connections, and the steam railway from Keighley
• 32:00 Make a Week of It — Combining Haworth with York, Manchester, and the Yorkshire Moors
• 32:53 Best Time of Year to Visit — August heather, autumn mist, and gothic atmosphere
• 33:34 The Literary Gothic Trail — Adding Whitby to a Yorkshire literary itinerary
• 34:12 What’s Coming Up at the Museum — Hair jewellery workshops, live music at Easter, and upcoming events
• 35:12 Wrap-Up — Jonathan’s outro, Friends of Anglotopia, and a recommendation to pick up Wuthering Heights

Video Version