Lily Cole has responded to the 'prejudice' she's received in a row over her involvement in the upcoming celebrations to mark the bicentenary of Emily Bronte's birth.
The model, actress and entrepreneur - who graduated with a double first in History of Art from Cambridge in 2011 - was named 'creative partner' for the commemoration lead by the Bronte Parsonage Museum in West Yorkshire (via BBC).
Bronte expert Nick Holland quit the Bronte Society, arguing that such a pivotal role should have been given to a writer, and that the Wuthering Heights author would never have approved of a model receiving the role.
But Cole contended that Bronte would not have judged 'any piece of work on name alone'.
The role will feature the Elizabeth I star making a short film for the museum about Wuthering Heights anti-hero Heathcliff, and will focus on women's rights as 2018 marks 100 years since women got the vote.
Emily, Charlotte and Anne Bronte began their literary careers by writing under pseudonyms in order to avoid prejudice and to have their work taken seriously by the 19th Century literary establishment.
In her statement, Cole said the criticism she's received over her involvement made her wonder whether she should make her film under a pseudonym too, 'so that it will be judged on its own merits, rather than on my name, my gender, my image or my teenage decisions'.
In his blog post, Holland - who is the author of books about the Bronte sisters - wrote: 'The central question should be, what would Emily Bronte think if she found that the role of chief 'artist' and organiser in her celebratory year was a supermodel?
'We all know the answer to that, and anyone who doesn't isn't fit to make the decision or have any role in the governance of the Bronte Society.'
He concluded: 'It's best that I leave the society now, before they announce James Corden as the creative partner for 2019, a year in which Patrick Bronte is being remembered, and Rita Ora as organiser for Anne Bronte's celebrations in 2020.'
The Bronte Society defended their decision to select Cole, saying her 'innovative projects in the fields of literacy, nature, story-telling and the environment' made her a 'perfect fit for Emily'.
Meanwhile, Twitter users showed their solidarity to Cole and her 'dignified' response to Holland's 'elitism' and 'snobbery'.
Cole added in her statement: 'I would not be so presumptuous as to guess Emily's reaction to my appointment as a creative partner at the museum, were she alive today. Yet I respect her intellect and integrity enough to believe that she would not judge any piece of work on name alone.
'In the meantime I am excited to see how much Emily still means to so many people, and I welcome 2018 to celebrate her.'
Hear, hear!
Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.
