TV ACTRESS Maxine Peake visited Haworth on Saturday to read from Jane Eyre during the Great Charlotte Brontë Debate.
Maxine was invited to the Brontë Society’s annual weekend to bring Charlotte’s prose to life during an event to decide which was the writer's best novel.
Viewers are more used to hearing Maxine’s voice in TV series and films such as The Theory Of Everything, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shameless and The Village.
The entertaining debate saw biographer Claire Harman and novelist Joanne Harris arguing for Jane Eyre and author Kath Langrish and historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett arguing for Villette.
The packed house voted Jane Eyre the best novel, by 85 votes to 27.
Brontë Society spokesman Rebecca Yorke said the very successful weekend recorded good audiences for all events, including a well-received new film by comedy duo LipService about Charlotte Brontë.
Members at the Brontë Society annual general meeting heard about the appointment of a new executive director, Kitty Wright, and saw a short film about Charlotte’s bicentenary celebrations.
It was reported that visitor numbers at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth were up, and society membership was rising.
On Sunday members were able to tour the museum and view treasures of the collection in the library with collections manager Ann Dinsdale.
A social evening and quiz hosted by Barry Simmons of Eggheads was held at the Old White Lion.
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