Powys Society Newsletter 88

Alliance of Literary Societies
Chris Thomas reports:
I attended the AGM of the Alliance of Literary Societies on 21-22 May, in
Haworth, which this year was hosted by the Brontë Society. The ALS has over
100 members and there were about 30 organisations present at the AGM including
representatives of the Virginia Woolf, Arnold Bennett, Charlotte Yonge, Jane
Austen, Hardy, Orwell, Charles Lamb, and Samuel Johnson societies. The event,
which was well organised, was slightly let down by the absence of a delegate
list. However I managed to work out who was who. The event was a very good
opportunity to meet the members of other literary societies, discuss issues of mutual
interest, share problems and solutions and find out more about other writers, some
of whom were well known to me and others not known to me at all, such as Leo
Walmsley. All the delegates seemed to share the same enthusiasm and passion for
their favourite writers and a keen willingness to explore ways to help promote our
various societies. This was also an opportunity to get reacquainted with Brontë
country (I visited nearby Ponden Hall — the most likely real inspiration for
Wuthering Heights) and see more of north Yorkshire.
Our hosts, the Brontë Society, were very welcoming and allowed delegates a
free visit to the Brontë parsonage where we were treated to a special view of their
many artefacts associated with the Brontës. The Brontë Society is richly endowed
with original letters, portraits, manuscripts, first edition books and other objects,
such as a beautiful portrait of Anne Brontë by Charlotte, a carnelian necklace worn
by Anne, which we were shown in a spirit of almost religious awe and respect.
The curators called these things ‘treasures’. But security and insurance must be
a headache I thought. We walked through the parsonage and saw a fine display
charting the life and times of the Brontës.
Local historian and Brontë expert, Juliet Barker gave a talk on ‘Re-Writing
Writer’s Lives — Mrs Gaskell and the Life of Charlotte Brontë’ which raised lots
of questions about the role of a literary biography, truthfulness and the invented
representations of a life — Mrs Gaskell is of course well known for virtually
creating the Brontë myth. I could not prevent myself from thinking of the way
JCP has been represented, or misrepresented, by his critics and his biographers.
We also listened to a very entertaining talk by Ian Dewhirst, ‘The Druggist and
the Relieving Officer, and other Writers in Haworth’ who attempted to dispel the
Brontë myth of a lonely, remote and isolated community — why are the moors
23