A student with a passion for the Brontë family is getting her teeth into a dream job – and delivering expert talks on the sisters’ literary links with vampires.
Elysia Brown, pictured below, completed a BA in English Literature at Edge Hill University with her study including vampire fiction and the Brontës’ life and works.
And she soon put her knowledge to good use, securing a sought-after role at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire.
The museum – once the family home – houses the world’s largest collection of Brontë manuscripts, artwork, and personal items, and welcomes up to 90,000 visitors a year.
Elysia, 26, from Nelson, near Burnley, recently delivered a special talk for enthusiasts worldwide on Emily Brontë’s links to vampires.
It included sharing rare items from the archives to lift the lid on the novelist and poet’s literary love of bloodsuckers.
The talk traced the influence of German literature and vampire stories on Wuthering Heights and tracked how Emily Brontë’s writing has gone on to shape modern vampire media like Twilight.
In 2009, teenage fans of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series sent 1847 novel Wuthering Heights – a favourite of the books’ hero and heroine – soaring to the top of the classics bestseller charts.
Elysia, who is now studying MA Nineteenth Century Studies at Edge Hill, said: “I’m privileged that I get to physically engage with the legacy of the Brontë family, and share their incredible story with visitors of all ages and backgrounds from all over the world.
“I have been able to take my love for the Brontës’ novels and poetry – deepened thanks to my studies on modules at Edge Hill – and apply it in my career.
“I have been supported both by my tutors at Edge Hill and my colleagues at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in following my passion for the Brontës into the world of work, and have the honour of engaging with literature, heritage, and curatorial disciplines on a daily basis.”
Tutor Dr Laura Eastlake said: “Elysia is a brilliant example of how our students can follow their passions into rewarding careers in heritage. The degree has been popular with students who want work in – or who are already employed in – museums, galleries, archives, and libraries.”
Discover our courses at Edge HillFebruary 13, 2024
