Pen Names and Secret Fame

Evan Swensen
April 24, 2024

Charlotte Brontë and her sisters faced a 19th-century society that often repressed women’s voices. When Jane Eyre was first published in 1847, it was under the guise of Currer Bell, an ambiguous name that provided a shield, allowing the novel to be judged free from the gender biases of the time.

Adopting a male pseudonym was common for female writers seeking to ensure their works were taken seriously. The Brontë sisters, each with their male pen name, collectively published a volume of poetry before their novels came out. The choice of the name Currer was thought to be derived from Currer Ellis and Co., a firm in the same business as their father, and Bell, perhaps an Anglicization of their mother’s maiden name, Branwell, was calculated. These names were not randomly plucked but chosen with intention and meaning, weaving a deeper story behind the novels we hold dear.

The revelation of Charlotte Brontë’s true identity brought a mixture of scandal and admiration. Imagine the 19th-century readers, their eyes widening in disbelief as the author they presumed to be a man was unveiled as a woman. This unmasking didn’t harm Brontë’s career, fortunately; instead, it amplified the power of Jane Eyre, with many readers feeling a renewed connection to the novel’s strong-willed heroine, knowing she was birthed from the mind of a woman fighting her societal constraints.

The world of pseudonyms is not just confined to women hiding their gender. There are stories of authors who adopted alter egos to write in different genres or to escape the typecasting of their previous successes. A famous example is Samuel Clemens, who sailed under the nom de plume of Mark Twain, an identity that became as legendary as the man himself. Twain, a riverboat term meaning two fathoms deep, was as much a part of Clemens’s identity as his name.

The history of literature is dotted with such cases: Lewis Carroll, known to friends and family as Charles Dodgson, who ventured down the rabbit hole of children’s literature while maintaining his academic reputation; George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, who wanted to ensure her works were judged by their literary merit rather than her gender; and Robert Galbraith, a contemporary mask for J.K. Rowling, when she decided to venture into the world of adult crime fiction.

What we find in these stories is not just an act of hiding but an act of liberation. Pseudonyms offered writers the freedom to explore and to be judged on the content of their prose rather than the contours of their lives. It was a dance of shadows and light, where the essence of an author could be distilled into the characters they brought to life, unhindered by the world’s judgments.

This journey through the alcoves of pseudonymity reveals a side of literature that is as human as it is fascinating. It reminds us that behind every book, there is an author, and sometimes, behind an author, there is a story just as compelling as the ones they write.

So, next time a book is picked up, it might be worth pondering the name that graces its cover. Is it a name born from necessity, from desire, or simply from the whim of its creator? The answer may add another layer to the story, making the reading adventure even more delightful.

We Don’t Want to Write the Laws; We Want to Publish the Books
We Believe in the Power of Authors Short Video: https://bit.ly/45z6mvf
Writers Reshape the World Short Video: https://bit.ly/47glKOg
Bringing Your Book to Market Booklet: https://bit.ly/2ymDVXx
Bringing Your Book to Market Short Video: https://bit.ly/3Q3g2JD