Charlotte Brontë publishes Jane Eyre as Currer Bell

Background. Charlotte Brontë, an English novelist, is best known for Jane Eyre. In May 1846, at Charlotte's insistence, the three sisters paid for the publication of a collection of their poems under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. According to their own account, they veiled their names out of a conscientious scruple about assuming positively masculine Christian names, and from a vague impression that authoresses are liable to be looked on with prejudice. In 1846 Charlotte submitted her first novel, The Professor, to London publisher Henry Colburn, along with Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's Agnes Grey. Her second manuscript, Jane Eyre, was submitted to Smith, Elder & Co. in August 1847 and published soon afterwards.

Publication Details. Jane Eyre was published on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. This publication represented the firm's first major success. The novel was originally published as Jane Eyre: An Autobiography. The American edition followed in January 1848. The work was noted for its psychological intensity and focus on moral development.

The Pseudonym Currer Bell. Brontë used the pseudonym Currer Bell to veil her identity, citing a conscientious scruple about assuming masculine names and a desire to avoid prejudice against women writers. The sisters' true identities were not revealed until 1848. The publication of other novels by Ellis and Acton Bell later caused speculation about Currer Bell's identity.