Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë was born on July 30, 1818, in Thornton, West Yorkshire, England. She was one of the six children of Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell Brontë. Emily was known for her reclusive and solitary nature, spending much of her life at the family home, Haworth Parsonage, on the Yorkshire moors. Despite her secluded lifestyle, her imagination was vibrant and expansive, heavily influenced by the rugged landscape around her and her readings.
Emily only published one novel, 'Wuthering Heights', in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. The novel, which was initially met with mixed reviews due to its stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty, has since become a classic of English literature. It is admired for its complex narrative structure and the deep emotional engagement it invokes. 'Wuthering Heights' remains Emily's only novel as she died a year after its publication, on December 19, 1848, from tuberculosis.
Beyond 'Wuthering Heights', Emily also wrote and published a small number of poems, often overshadowed by her novel but notable for their lyrical beauty and acute introspection. Her poetry, along with that of her sisters, Charlotte and Anne Brontë, was initially published in a volume titled 'Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell', which they wrote under their respective pseudonyms to avoid contemporary prejudice against female writers. Emily's work, both in poetry and prose, continues to be celebrated for its originality and emotional depth.