BRONTË scriptwriter Sally Wainwright has spoken openly about her work at a public lecture.

Sally Wainwright, writer and director of upcoming BBC drama To Walk Invisible, was in conversation with the University of Huddersfield ‘s leader of creative writing Dr Michael Stewart.

Sally, whose gritty new drama will explore the lives of the Brontë family in Haworth in the 1800s, told her large audience that there was “no drama in happiness”.

The veteran of crime dramas and Unforgiven and bittersweet serial Last Tango In Halifax explained why dysfunctional families frequently featured in her storylines.

She agreed that the latest drama, To Walk Invisible, due to be screened next month, portrayed “the ultimate dysfunctional family”.

She explained how she had selected unknown actors for the lead roles and ensured that they spoke with Yorkshire accents and bore a physical resemblance to the Brontës.

The audience was given a preview of a scene in which an emotionally charged Emily Brontë is seen physically assaulting her sister Charlotte after an argument over poetry and privacy.

It was based on research into the intense relationship between the literary sisters.

Sally said: “I really wanted it be like stepping back in time, and not feel like a sanitised, BBC dressing-up box production where they have all got white teeth and you wouldn’t be surprised if they got mobile phones out!”

The event at which Sally Wainwright spoke was the University of Huddersfield’s second annual JB Priestley Lecture.

The format was an interview conducted by Dr Stewart, an author who is also course leader in creative writing.

He screened a series of scenes from Wainwright dramas, including Happy Valley, Unforgiven and Last Tango in Halifax, and he and Sally went on to talk about her entire career.