Claire O'Callaghan

Emily Brontë occupies a special place in the English literary canon. And rightly so: the incomparable Wuthering Heights is a novel that has bewitched us for almost 200 years, and the character of Heathcliff is, perhaps, the ultimate romantic hero - and villain. But Emily herself remains an enigmatic figure, often portrayed as awkward, as a misanthrope, as no normal being. That's the conventional wisdom on Emily as a person, but is it accurate? Is it fair?

It's time for the real Emily Brontë to please stand up.