New bloom launched in celebration of bicentenary of ‘Yorkshire rose’ Emily Brontë.
Celebrated rose breeder David Austin has created a new English rose named ‘Emily Brontë’ (Ausearnshaw) as part of a year of celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of Emily Brontë, one of the world’s most enigmatic authors.
The ‘Emily Brontë’ rose is soft pink with a subtle apricot hue and has a strong tea fragrance, which is complimented by hints of old rose, lemon and grapefruit and made its debut at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Kitty Wright, Brontë Society executive director said: ‘Over many years of piecing together Emily’s short but plenteous life, we know that she was completely at one with nature and the outdoors, so this is a really fitting tribute and celebration. David Austin Roses has created a beautiful bloom with charming colours and delicate details and its free-flowering nature makes it a perfect match for Emily.’
David Austin Jnr, managing director of David Austin Roses and eldest son of founder, David Austin, added: ‘We only introduce a few new roses each year, following a nine-year breeding programme and therefore naming a rose is exceptionally important and personal to my father and me. We always want to choose a name that captures the character of the rose and also to reflect elements of British culture that are close to my father’s heart. Historically, many of our English Roses have been named after literary characters or authors and therefore to name the rose Emily Brontë for the bicentenary year was a fitting tribute.’
The new rose is part of a major programme of events, entitled ’Emily 2018’ and curated by the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire. Throughout 2018, Emily Brontë is being honoured by some of the most well-known names in literature and contemporary culture. Acclaimed poet Patience Agbabi, bestselling author Kate Mosse, and award-winning musicians The Unthanks will animate Emily’s hometown of Haworth, West Yorkshire and the Brontë Parsonage Museum through a series of performances, film, walks and new commissions from Friday, July 27th to Emily’s actual birthday, which is Monday July 30th.
There is also a series of workshops and projects taking place to mark the bicentenary, including a new exhibition ‘Making Thunder Roar’; a collection of Emily’s possessions chosen by contemporary talents including Dame Judi Dench, Anita Rani and Caryl Phillips, which is on display until 2019.
New Brontë Society creative partner Lily Cole is playing a pivotal role in the celebrations; the actor and activist has created a poignant new film, Balls, in partnership with the Brontë Parsonage Museum and Foundling Museum, which explores the real lives of women who gave up their babies to the Foundling Hospital in the 19th century, and Heathcliff, the foundling anti-hero from Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.
Keighley-based Whitestone Arts explores the links between Emily Brontë and Japan in a series of workshops, while singer-songwriter Kate Bush, poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Scottish maker Jackie Kay and novelist Jeanette Winterson will each write a piece of poetry or prose which will be engraved onto a ‘Brontë stone’, one for each sibling. The stones will be placed at different points in the Haworth and Thornton area which have a significant connection to the Brontës and can be explored via either a three-mile, four-mile or fourteen-mile walk, linking each stone.
The Emily Brontë rose is available to purchase immediately from the David Austin website davidaustinroses.co.uk and is £21 for a bare rooted rose, and £27 for a potted rose.Full details of all events, tickets and venues go to bronte.org.uk
