Interview with Essie Fox, Author of "Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights"

Join author Essie Fox for a haunting conversation about Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights, a Gothic reimagining of Emily Brontë's masterpiece told from Catherine Earnshaw's ghostly perspective.

In this special episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, Sunday Times bestselling author Essie Fox discusses her bold new retelling of Wuthering Heights, one of British literature's most beloved Gothic novels. Catherine gives voice to the original's most enigmatic character, allowing readers to experience the Yorkshire moors, Heathcliff's obsessive love, and the dark halls of the Heights through Cathy's eyes—from beyond the grave.

We explore why Essie chose Catherine's supernatural perspective, how she balanced Victorian authenticity with modern accessibility, and her deep knowledge of the Brontë sisters and Haworth Parsonage. Essie shares insights into navigating the challenges of retelling a classic, her approach to the Gothic tradition that runs through all her historical novels, and what drew her to give Catherine the voice Nelly Dean's narration couldn't provide.

Whether you're a Brontë devotee, a Gothic fiction enthusiast, or curious about literary retellings, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on Wuthering Heights and the timeless appeal of Emily Brontë's dark romance.

Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights publishes February 12th in the UK and April 14th in the US. You can find it on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble in the US. 

Perfect for fans of: Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë, Victorian Gothic fiction, literary retellings, British classics, Yorkshire literary tourism

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Transcript

Thebookclubtour 0:15

Thank you for, doing this. This is so fun. It's fun to meet you and I'm excited about your new project and I was just looking at some of your other books too, and I'll have to dip into some of those. Wow, wow. It's amazing. Um, well I'll just read your little bio if that's okay. Um, and then we'll kind of just get into questions and if there's anything else that you wanna add as well. Okay. Essie Fox was born and raised, and you might have to help me with the pronunciation of, um, Herford Cher. Did I say it right? Harford Cher. Okay. Was born and raised in Herefordshire. And where is that exactly? Asee. Oh, amazing. Oh yes. Wow, that's amazing. I love that. Um, I just watched Hamnet a couple weeks ago and actually just did a podcast about it. Um, my friend and I saw it and just did a little chit chat about it afterwards. So I was, yeah, it was beautiful film. Have you seen it yet? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I am sure launching a book. I'm sure that's a lot of work. Yeah. But bring your tissues and be ready to cry. Alright. Yes. Every once in a while. Okay. Um, so after studying English literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London and began a career in publishing from there, becoming self-employed in commercial art design, which is interesting shift. Right. Um, always an avid reader. She now writes historical novels, her debut, um, and you might have to pronounce this one for me as well. Some na list. What does Oh, interesting. Okay. I did not know. That was shortlisted for the National Book Awards and featured on Channel four's TV book Club, Elijah's Mermaid, the Goddess, and the Thief. The last days of Lida Gray were all selected by the Times as historical books of the month. Is that a series Essie or are they all separate? Oh, nice. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Love it. Um, my daughter just graduated, uh, film school in Canada and so she's very into silent films and film history, so I'm going to recommend that book to her. She will definitely love that. Do. Right, right up her alley. And yeah. When you said it took a long time to make films, it just, you know, watching her, it, you know, five minutes of film, you know, will take months. So not much has changed in that department, I guess. Yeah, sorry, I keep interrupting your bio, but I'll get back to that. Uh, the fascination was an instant Sunday Times top 10 bestseller, dangerous, a Regency crime filler, which sounds so fun, featuring Lord Byron has been selected as a Times Book of the month. Catherine, a retelling of Weathering Heights is es he's latest novel. It Reimagines Emily Bronte's Gothic Landscape and Plot through the eyes of Kathy's ghost. Essy has appeared at many literary events and has lectured at the v and a, the Westminster Library in the National Gallery in London. She also hosts a podcast talking the Gothic, which I listened to a few episodes, uh, this week and that was fun. So thank you and welcome ee glad that you're here in the Brit Lit Book Club podcast. Yeah. See you as well. Um, do you wanna, you ready to just dive into questions and. And talk about these. Okay. Let me know if there's anything that you wanna skip. Um, you know, I can or I can edit anything out. So, um, okay. We'll just start at the beginning. Um, let's just chat about your newest book. Um, do you wanna just give us a quick summary, um, just about what the book is about? Oh, it's so pretty. I don't, I don't do a video, but that is beautiful. And if you're listening, you should go look at a picture online. 'cause it's pretty. Love it. It does sound very spooky, very ghostly. I am excited. Um, I, I forgot to ask, when does it release In the us. Okay. Okay. Perfect. Okay, perfect. Yeah, and I'll, I'll put the correct date at the end when I, I'll talk to your publisher. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um, oh, sorry. I see that you put that description that in there, but thank you. It was much better having you read it. Um, what drew you to tell, sorry. What drew you to retell Weathering Heights from Catherine's perspective specifically. And when did you first realize her voice needed to be heard? Wow. Mm-hmm. Right. Um, yeah, the whole opening scene in the book and movies is definitely a little bit terrifying. And yeah, you do have to wonder, is he seeing a ghost? Is he ill? Is he, you know, what's happening? Um, it's a wild ride. Uh, um, just since the, this isn't really a question on our list, but since the, the movie, the 1930s movie had such a big impact on you, how do you feel about the new movie coming out? Um, in a couple weeks, at least here, I'm not sure in the UK when it releases. Yeah. Very strange. Mm-hmm. The, the tagline that they're using, it was like the greatest love story ever told or something. I, I think that was like the tagline on one of the trailers I watched and I was like, is it though? I would agree with that. I would agree with that tagline. Yeah. Great. It's so clear to me in the book that he is, um, you know, of another race that he's darker. They mention it several times, which, um, again, with the new movie coming out, I felt was such a missed opportunity that they did not cast someone of color. Um, that was, yeah, it was just. Mm-hmm. Yes. Not like Margot Robbie. Yes. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah, she might have done it. Mm-hmm. Right. Which I feel like Emily probably could have related to with her brother Branwell, and you know. Mm-hmm. I think so too. Yeah, many times. Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure they were, and I'm sure they were, you know, helping him and nursing him. And, you know, as, um, I just listened to this really interesting talk by another author, um, just talking about the domestic life of the Bronte's and Jane Austen and comparing them and, um, just talking about how, how much of the caring, not even just like the laundry and cooking and um, that kind of thing, but just also the caring of the people in the family as, as the, the only women left in the family. You know, no older sisters, no mother. They would've had to help nurse him through those things as well. Mm-hmm. Really, your only options at that point could be a governance or maybe you can write, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. All of their writing has always felt to me like something that they had to get out of their system, you know? Um, particularly weathering heights. I just feel like, like you have this story in your brain and you have to get it out. Um, it just, it, it always, their stories always felt like that. Yeah. Right. Hundreds of beers later. Yeah, I think it's just one of those books that stick with you too. I mean, whether you love it or hate it, those characters do stick with you. It's hard to forget. It's a story that's hard to forget. Uh, yes, no, definitely not. And I do feel like Weathering Heights is one of those books that you either love or you hate when you're done. Um, I, I find very few people in between like, oh, that was like three star read for me. You know, like Right. It's very odd. Yes. Alright, I'll, oh, go ahead. That was, that was actually going to be one of my questions was, you know, you read it at such a No, no, no, no. I just thought about it later. You know, you read it at such a young age and then, you know, being older now you, you don't look that old, but, you know, an adult. Um, I, I felt the same about Jane Eyre. Like I loved Jane Eyre when I was younger and now I read it and I'm like, oh, there are so many red flags in this, you know, I think I have teenage daughters now. I think, you know, I'm just reading it from a different perspective and, um, you know, you just get something different out of it every time, every time you read Weathering Heights as well, so. Definitely. Yes. Mm-hmm. For being generally such sheltered individuals too. Um, I don't know. I just find that really incredible, especially after visiting the Bron, Bronte parsonage. Yeah. No, yeah. Let's hope not. No, it's true. I mean, we don't have much to go off of besides, you know, their writings and, um, you know, other, you know, secondhand accounts. But, um, yeah, I mean, same, you know, we, I do a lot of work with Jane Austen and so little is, you know, so much is known about her, but so little at the same time. Um, yeah. Oh, there's just so, there's so much, so much about, so many, you know, I love that you're. Once you've finished your your Bronte era, it's not gonna not gonna end ever, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. The audience for it. Yeah. I mean, I would read it. Definitely my book clubs would read it, but I, I see what you mean. Yeah. Well, let me know if you write that book. I would love to read it. Mm-hmm. Right. Oh, is it the, is it Emily? Is that the film? Emily? Oh, to Walk Invisible? Oh, yes, yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I don't think so either. I think that's definitely a reflection of how he was feeling about himself. Could have benefited from a lot of therapy, I think. Poor brand mall. Um, I'll try to put some of these pictures on my website as well so people can, um, know what we're talking about. They haven't seen this picture before. Uh, um, and then I'll, I'll put some links as well to your books. Um, okay. Sorry, we have not gotten very far in the questions. I apologize. It's just so fascinating talking with you. Uh, no, no, no, it's great. No, it's great. I love it. Um, some of this we've already covered, so, um, we can skip or whatever you wanna do. Um, you've framed this as a ghost story with Catherine Narrating from Beyond the grave. How does a supernatural framework allow you to explore aspects of the original that might have been impossible otherwise? Excited to read that now. Excited. I'm really excited to read this. It sounds so fascinating. Um, let's see. I bet. Yeah. I love that. Um, several reviewers are just looking at good reads. Um, mentioned that your writing feels authentically Victorian yet more accessible than the original. How did you walk that tightrope between honoring Emily Bronte's language and making it engaging for contemporary readers? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Mm-hmm. Right. She did. Yes. Oh, I love that. I love that you incorporated her poetry in there as well. Um, on our tours, we, we have a, a guided hike through the Moors, and we go to this old shooting hut, and we have a private chef there that makes food for us by campfire. And, and then we read Emily Bronte, uh, poetry and it's like, it's all very, very gothic and very romantic. Um, but so yeah. I, I, yeah. I love, I love hearing her poetry, especially red on the mos in that setting. It's just, it's, it's like a highlight for us. Definitely. And, and I appreciate you keeping the, the Yorkshire dialect, um, readable for, at least for us Americans especially. It is so difficult, um, to understand that. So. Yes. Mm-hmm. Right? Yes. Which is appreciated, right? Yes. Mm-hmm. I always wonder who you know, like what person in your life are you mirroring this person after? Because this crotty old person at church just drives me nuts. I write them into my novel. I know. I would've done the same. I would've been petty. Oh, okay. Let's see. Um, okay. In the original, we see Katherine largely through Nelly, Dean's eyes, a servant who has her own biases and blind spots. How did giving Katherine her own voice change your understanding of her choices? We might've already discussed this a little bit, but if you wanna go any deeper into that. Yes. I love that you had the artistic license to just, you know, create those scenes that Nelly wasn't there for. Um, that's gonna be. Um, we've already discussed, oh, sorry, go ahead. I was just gonna say that, um, we've, we've already discussed this a little bit, but, um, if there's anything else that you wanna say that, uh, one, one reviewer mentioned that you handled Heath Heath Cliffs treatment due to his skin color, very sensitively. How did you approach depicting the racial dimensions of his character while staying true to the period? Okay. Don't give it away. Right. Yeah, I am excited. I'm excited to read it. You're just gonna have to read it and find out. Um. Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. Yeah, don't give too much away. Alright. Have to read and find out. Um, all right, next question. Uh, you clearly have a deep knowledge of the period. Have you visited the Bronte parsonage? I think we've already talked about that. Um, or the Yorkshire Moores while writing this. And how did place inform your retelling? Which. Interesting. I love it. Yes. Mm-hmm. You must have had like, had to have a spreadsheet or something of, you know, here's what's going on in weathering heights and here's what I'm writing. No, here's all from memory. I would've had a hard time keeping it all straight. Hmm. Yeah. Right. Just like a timeline. Right, right. Every time I read Weathering Heights, I'm like, why? I'm like, why? Why did you do that to us? So confusing, right? Yes. Right. That's good. Yeah. Make it less confusing. Right. That does get complicated. All right. All right. Uh, Emily Bronte wrote Weathering Heights and Relative Isolation and Howeth Never Marrying, dying young. Do you see any of Emily, herself? And Catherine, how did you, how did your understanding of the author influence your approach to the character? Yes. That's interesting. I've never really thought too much about that, but it makes a lot of sense. Makes me wonder about Emily's relationship with, um, you know, the help in her household. You know? I think so. You'll know better than I do. Yeah. Right. Yeah. For everyone, all the women. Yeah. Um, I, I just, the talk that I was telling you about earlier, you would probably, I don't know, maybe you already know her. I'm trying to remember what her, I'll have to look up her name, but, um, she wrote a book, it's called, um, oh goodness. Was it, I think it was Charlotte Bronte's Life Through Close. I'm trying to remember the name of the, um, I'll, I'll find the, the name of the author. It says Messaging. Yes. So tiny, tiniest waist I've ever seen. Trying to find her name for you. Oh, oh, Eleanor Houghton. Yeah. Anyways, something you might be interested in. I just, I, um, I listened to a talk by her. Um, at the par, the parsonage put it on. I was really interesting. They do, they do. Oh, are you okay? That's great. Yeah. Well, I'll be there. I'll be there watching. Um, okay. Just a few, just a few more questions. Thanks so much for giving me so much of your time. It's been really fascinating. Um, weathering Heights is one of the foundational gothic novels, and you've written several Victorian Gothic works. What is it? And you have a gothic podcast as well. What is it about the gothic that keeps you dry, keeps drying you back, and how does Catherine fit into that tradition? Oh my goodness. Hmm. You don't seem, you don't seem dark, but mm-hmm. Yes. Wow. Right. You understood that more than other young children, I'm sure. Mm-hmm. Yeah. No, that's just fine. That's really interesting. Um, I did have another question, uh, a little bit off topic, but is there a house that you have been to that for you, represents Weathering Heights? Mm-hmm. Been? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Love it. Okay. You'll have to send that to me when you, I know what that is. I do love Hadden Hall though. We do go there on our tour and it's amazing. I know, I know. If we're ever in the same location while I'm on my tour, we'll definitely have to meet up and I'm sure my guests would love, love, love, love to meet you. Um, definitely putting your book, um, probably too late on this tour, but next year's tour. Definitely putting your book on our, on our reading list. Um, okay, let's see. I think I just have a couple more. Okay. What do you hope readers take away from Catherine that they might not get from the original, or what do you hope it inspires them to discover in Bronte's novel? Do you think that you can read, read Catherine before re reading Weathering Heights? Will it ruin the experience of either one? Okay. Love that. All right. Thank you, EsEssie. Is there anything else that you'd like to say before we say goodbye? No. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Oh, I love all of your deep knowledge. It's so fun to talk with someone who, um, is really passionate about that as well. So, um, it's been really great to meet you. Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us and, um, the book comes out in April and I'll put in the date as soon as I get that date, um, from you and I'll, I'll pop that in there. Yeah, yeah. Thank you so much EsEssie. And, um, I'll, yeah, let me know, you know, if our, I'll let you know our schedule, if our paths are ever crossing. I'd love to meet up with you in real life. Okay? Oh yes. Oh, amazing. Oh my gosh. Oh, I wish I could pop over and be there for that. That'd be amazing. Right. But that's like, that's amazing. See if you can get someone to, to lift the coffin lid for you. Well, best of luck. I'm not as brave as Heath Cliff. Well, best of luck with, um, publication date, and, you know, are, are you doing like a book tour or anything? Yeah. Yeah. It's exciting. It's exciting. Okay. I'm definitely gonna have to go pick up some of your other books. Where do you think would be a good place to start with your other books? Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that one, that one ped my interest for sure. Oh, great. All right. Thank you, EsEssie. Keep in touch. Okay. And have a great night. Sorry about it being so late there. Alright, have a good night. Thank you. Bye. Thank you so much for joining us on this special episode of the Brit Lit Book Club with incredible author Essie Fox. Her book Catherine will be published February 12th in the UK and April 14th in the US where you can find it at Barnes and Noble bookstores across the country. We'll see you next time on the Brit Lit Book Club podcast. Until then, keep reading. Stay curious.