Behind The Glass: A Parsonage Podcast

For the final episode of series 4, Sam and Mia are joined by historian, author and content creator Dr Rebecca Marks! Rebecca holds a Master's in Art History and a PhD in English Romantic Literature. She’s currently writing a book on Gothic art and literature with Penguin, which will be released at the end of 2027.

What came before Thornfield Hall and Wuthering Heights? We hope you're in the mood for ghosts and goblins as we dive into what makes a Gothic novel, writers who may have inspired the Brontës and why Patrick had the equivilent of movie posters on his wall...

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Mia and Sam chat to their colleague Ruth on this episode! Ruth is part of the Visitor Experience team at the Museum and has previously worked as a journalist and London tour guide!

We look at the progression of photography in the nineteenth century and discuss the mysterious backstory of one particular item in the collection...

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Sam and Mia chat to award-winning historian, broadcaster and author Dr Anthony Delaney! Anthony holds a PhD in 18th-century social and cultural history and co-hosts History Hit's podcast After Dark. His debut book Queer Georgians was published in September 2025.

This episode takes us to Patrick's roots in Ireland; we discuss the country he left behind, the Brontës' relationship with their Irish heritage and the catastrophic events of The Great Famine in the late 1840s...

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Mia and Sam sit down with bookish content creator Claire Fenby-Warren. Claire is also the Head of Marketing for the publisher Boldwood Books.

We discuss Victorian mourning practices, the recent resurgence of classic literature and how we'd market the Brontës' novels today... 

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On this episode, Mia and Sam sit down with art historian and writer Eliza Goodpasture! Eliza has written the introduction to a new edition of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, illustrated by British modern artist Edna Clarke Hall. 

We take a look at the women studying at the Slade School of Fine Art in the 1890s and how Edna Clarke Hall's marriage influenced her obsession with Cathy and Heathcliff...

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Sam and Mia are joined by their colleague Murray, who is one of the Museum's curators! Before taking on the role, Murray worked at other Museums and historic houses and undertook a PhD specialising in architectural history.

In this episode, we ride the highs and lows of Britain's railways during the 1840s, looking at Branwell's time as a Railway Clerk and the investments the family made into this booming industry...

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Sam and Mia are joined by Dr Alessandra Pino, an expert on the intersections of the Gothic, food, and cultural memory. She co-authored The Gothic Cookbook, which digs into food themes and motifs in classic and contemporary novels from the 19th century to the present day.

We look at how food is used in the Brontës' Gothic novels Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and why Margot Robbie's Cathy poked her finger into aspic...

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Welcome to series 4 of the Brontë Parsonage Museum's podcast Behind The Glass!

For our first episode, Programme Officer Sam and Digital Engagement Officer Mia are joined by writer and scholar Deborah Lutz, to celebrate the publication of her new biography This Dark Night: The Life of Emily Brontë.

Listen in as Deborah tells us about her research process and trying to unpick some mysteries behind one of the greatest and fiercest writers...

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On this episode, Mia and Sam are joined by Professor Corinne Fowler. Corinne is an Honorary Professor of Colonialism and Heritage at the University of Leicester and author of Our Island Stories: Country Walks Through Colonial Britain.

We chat about the Museum's 2026 exhibition, The Colonial Brontës, which Corinne has co-curated; discussing how Empire influenced the Brontës' writing and the origins of Emily's character Heathcliff...

The Colonial Brontës is on at the Brontë Parsonage Museum from February to December 2026.

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Mia and Sam are joined by THE drag queen historian Elizabeth the Thirsty.

We share our love for making history fun, imagine a Brontë-themed drag show and learn about a secret language used by the Georgians...

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