Juvenilia, 1829-1835

Charlotte herself referred to these childhood writings - stories, diary papers and poems - written between 1829 and 1835, as a 'long apprenticeship in writing.' They include the Young Men's Magazines, inspired by Branwell's toy soldiers, as well as stories and novelettes featuring the high romance and stylistic flair that are an intrinsic part of Charlotte's later work. The sheer exuberance of the "Juvenilia, " as Juliet Barker explores in her illuminating introduction, effectively dispels the myth of the Brontes' unhappy childhood.