

Behind The Glass: A Parsonage Podcast
Bronte Parsonage Museum
A conversational podcast taking a closer look at some of the most extraordinary items in the Brontë Parsonage Museum collection.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 20, 2026 • 50min
S3 E8: With... Corinne Fowler
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.Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Feb 5, 2026 • 44min
S3 E7: With... Elizabeth the Thirsty
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...Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Jan 23, 2026 • 43min
S3 E6: With... Elysia Brown
Mia and Sam are joined by their Museum colleague Elysia Brown! Elysia is part of the Visitor Experience team at the Parsonage, volunteers for the Publishing Post and recently completed a Master's degree in Nineteenth-century studies.Things get spooky as we chat vampires and how Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights inspired the Twilight saga...The portrait of Emily Brontë was on display at the Museum Aug - Oct 2025.Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Jan 9, 2026 • 59min
S3 E5: With... Holly Ringland
Hosts Sam and Mia are joined by Holly Ringland, best-selling Australian author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding. Hear how Holly found herself walking in Charlotte's footsteps in Manchester, the importance of dogs in the Brontës' lives and works, and what it's like seeing Sigourney Weaver play one of your characters for TV...Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Dec 18, 2025 • 43min
S3 E4: Christmas Special with Isobel Hayward
Mia and Sam are getting into the festive spirit with their colleague Isobel Hayward!We chat about what Christmas would've been like for the Brontës, our favourite traditions and how Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol influenced the Victorians...Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Dec 5, 2025 • 48min
S3 E3: With... Noor Afasa
On this episode, Mia and Sam are joined by Bradford Young Creative and poet Noor Afasa! Noor has been on placement at the Museum as part of her apprenticeship with Bradford 2025.We chat all things Bradford, celebrating its City of Culture status and the people who lived there during the time of the Brontës...Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Nov 21, 2025 • 49min
S3 E2: With... Kit Heyam
Mia and Sam are joined by historian and heritage practitioner Kit Heyam (author of 'Before We Were Trans'). We have lots of tea talk, dive into the fascinating gendered history of our chosen object and learn about Kit's rebellious school visit to the Museum...Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Nov 7, 2025 • 40min
S3 E1: With... Naomi Philbert
Welcome back to Behind the Glass! We're here with series 3 of the podcast that takes you up close to Brontë items in the Museum's collection.Hosts Sam and Mia are joined by Charlotte Brontë's no.1 fan, Naomi (@bookish.naomi), to chat about Victorian weddings, our love for books and whether marriage changed Charlotte as a writer...Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Apr 24, 2025 • 46min
S2 E7: With... Graham Watson
For our final episode of series two, we welcome Graham Watson, author of 'The Invention of Charlotte Brontë', the new, eye-opening take on Charlotte's last years.We discuss scandal and celebrity in the Brontë world, and ask the tantalising question: who really was Charlotte Brontë?Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.

Apr 17, 2025 • 43min
S2 E6: With... Nicole Joseph
Episode six is all about Anne! We're joined by Yorkshire writer and theatre-maker, Nicole Joseph, to uncover what we know about the youngest Brontë sister - and what we didn't know...Inspired by Nicole's chosen object, we explore what makes Anne's work so relevant even today.Say hi! Let us know if you enjoyed the episode.


