In February, we’re delighted to welcome historical novelist Finola Austin, who will talk about her debut novel, Bronte’s Mistress, published by Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) in 2020.

in 1843, Branwell Brontë had affair with Lydia Robinson, mistress of Thorp Green Hall and the mother of his pupil. The novel reimagines the scandalous affair that has divided Brontë enthusiasts for generations and gives voice to the woman vilified by history as the “wicked elder seductress”.

Finola Austin has a Master’s degree in nineteenth-century literature from the University of Oxford and is the woman behind the hugely popular Secret Victorianist blog. She’ll join us over Zoom from her home in New York to discuss Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Life of Charlotte Bronte (which inspired the novel) and will share findings from her extensive research into the real-life scandal that rocked the Brontë family.

You can buy a copy of Bronte’s Mistress at Bookshop.org, a site which supports local independent booksellers.

A recording of the talk will be posted on our website shortly.