Description
Join BBC News correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti and award-winning novelist Martina Devlin for a compelling discussion on the lasting legacy of Charlotte Brontë.
Reeta’s debut novel, Finding Belle, is a haunting, evocative story of identity, betrayal, and maternal bonds, drawing on themes from Jane Eyre. Martina’s Charlotte reimagines Brontë’s little-known time in Ireland, blending passion, friendship, and intrigue. Together, they explore how Charlotte Brontë’s life and work continue to inspire modern fiction, shaping powerful narratives of resilience and self-discovery.
This event offers fresh insight into one of literature’s most enduring figures through the lens of two acclaimed contemporary writers.
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About the Authors
Reeta Chakrabarti
Reeta Chakrabarti is a British journalist, news presenter, and author, renowned for her extensive career with BBC News. Beyond journalism, Chakrabarti is a published author. Her debut novel, Finding Belle, was released in May 2025. The novel explores themes of family, identity, and mental health through the story of a mother and daughter.
Martina Devlin
Dublin-based author Martina Devlin has written novels, non-fiction books, short stories and plays. Her most recent novel is Charlotte about Charlotte Brontë’s Irish connections. Others include Edith about Irish R.M. co-author Edith Somerville, and The House Where It Happened about a mass witchcraft trial in Ireland, which led to a plaque to commemorate those wrongly convicted following a campaign she initiated.
Her plays are ‘Call Me Madame’ about the Irish revolutionary Countess Marcievicz and ‘Curves of Emotion’ about Nora Barnacle’s influence on James Joyce. Prizes include the Royal Society of Literature’s V.S. Pritchett Prize and a Hennessy Literary Award, and she was shortlisted three times for the Irish Book Awards.
Martina writes a weekly current affairs column for the Irish Independent, for which she was named National Newspapers of Ireland commentator of the year. She holds a PhD in literary practice from Trinity College Dublin.
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