To
kick off this academic year here in Belgium, the writer and academic Kristien
Hemmerechts is giving a series of 14 short talks on the
Brontës on the Flemish radio station Klara. The talks, which
last around 7 minutes, will be broadcast from 3 September on weekdays at 8.15
am. More information can be found here: https://klara.be/thebrontes
 |
| Kristien Hemmerechts |
As
the starting point for each broadcast, Kristien Hemmerechts takes a quotation
from one of the Brontës, drawing on their novels, letters (including
Charlotte’s letters to Constantin Heger), Emily’s ‘diary papers’ and the French
essays written by Charlotte and Emily in Brussels. All four siblings are
discussed; one of the talks is dedicated to Branwell.
Look
out for the ninth broadcast, which discusses Charlotte’s attitude to Brussels
and the Belgians! And in the last of them, the Brussels Brontë Group gets a
mention.
Kristien
Hemmerechts has written many articles on the Brontës in the Belgian press. In
the early days of our Group, she wrote about our activities in an article dated
25 April 2008 for the newspaper De Standaard
Next year,
on 6 April 2019, she will be giving a talk to the Brussels Brontë Group called
‘A Belgian reads the Brontës’. She says: ‘At a pivotal time in my life,
I spent two years in Britain, mirroring Emily’s and Charlotte’s stay in
Brussels. For all their differences I often find herself identifying with them.
Their resilience, power and determination have often been a source of
inspiration for me. Rereading their work and reading about them for the Klara
broadcasts has only added to my enthusiasm and profound admiration. My talk
will focus on what the Brontës have meant to me as a writer, a teacher, a
feminist and a Belgian.’
For
more details of this and our other forthcoming events, see our website:
Helen MacEwan
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