Although he is perhaps best known as a Brontë scholar and editor of the poems of Anne and Emily Brontë, Edward Chitham has written a wide range of material, from children's fiction and local British historical accounts to literary criticism and biography. It is most likely his lucid prose style along with his facility in addressing his audience on scholarly topics without condescension or mystification that ensure his place as a preeminent biographer of the Brontës. His work is highly respected by academics as well as by general readers.

Born in Birmingham, England, on 16 May 1932, Chitham is the son of Norman E. and Elaine Chitham. Edward Chitham was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was awarded a B.A. in 1955. He received a Certificate in Education in 1956 from the University of Birmingham and an M.A. from...