Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (1846) is the first book of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, published under male pseudonyms. It sold only two copies in its first year, but contains some of Emily's finest poems.
A secret discovery
In 1845 Charlotte found a notebook of Emily's poems and was struck by their power. Emily was furious, but agreed to publish a joint volume with poems by all three sisters.
They chose names that kept their initials, Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, to avoid the prejudice against women writers.
The book
The volume was printed at their own expense by Aylott and Jones in May 1846, for about thirty-one pounds. It contained twenty-one poems each by Emily and Anne and nineteen by Charlotte.
Emily's Remembrance, a lament for a love dead fifteen years, is one of the great elegies in English.
After the poems
The failure of the book did not discourage them: by the end of 1847, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey had all been published.
The remaining copies were reissued in 1848 by Smith, Elder, Charlotte's publisher, after the success of Jane Eyre.
Anecdotes
Two copies
A year after publication, only two copies had been sold. The sisters sent copies to several writers, including Wordsworth, Tennyson and De Quincey, with a letter of thanks.
A good review
The Athenaeum praised Ellis Bell's poems in particular, recognising a fine, quaint spirit, which pleased the sisters.
Frequently asked questions
Who were Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell?
Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë.
How many copies did the book sell?
Only two in its first year.
Why did they use male names?
To avoid the prejudice against women writers.