A Bronte Society attempt to bring a rare poem by one of the literary sisters back to Haworth was unsuccessful.

But the international organisation’s executive director has exclusively revealed to the Keighley News this week that moves are being made to acquire another prized document.

As revealed in last week’s paper, the Charlotte Bronte poem sold at auction for a staggering £92,450 – the highest figure ever paid for her poetry and more than double the pre-sale estimate.

It was bought in the Bonhams London sale by an anonymous overseas bidder.

But the Bronte Society now has its sights set on a previously unpublished manuscript by one of the acclaimed literary sisters.

Professor Ann Sumner, who took over as the Bronte Society’s executive director just two months ago, told us: “The society was present at the auction but had to drop out at an early stage.

“While it was very interesting, we are currently concentrating on fundraising for a previously unpublished manuscript, and will be announcing this appeal shortly.”

She declined to comment further on the new target of the literary society, which is one of the oldest organisations of its kind in the world and is responsible for administering Haworth’s Bronte Parsonage Museum – once the family home of the sisters.

The society, a charity, also has responsibility for collecting Bronte manuscripts and artefacts.

Bonhams said the 16-line poem it sold last Wednesday afternoon may be the last of Charlotte’s in private hands.

The words are in her own, minuscule handwriting, and the work is dated by her December 14 1829, making it one of her earliest.

In total, Charlotte wrote about 200 poems during her lifetime, but they rarely come up at auction. Only two others have gone under the hammer in more than four decades.

Charlotte, who is best known for her classic novel Jane Eyre, died in March 1855 – aged 38 – and was laid to rest in the family vault at Haworth Parish Church.