Brontë gift to woo Eastern visitors to Pennines

Now the text of her only novel is to be used to lure more visitors from the Far East to Yorkshire to see the landscape which helped to inspire her words.

The story of tortured love was written 150 years ago and a rare early edition of the work has already been sent to Asia, where it will be kept by the National Library of Singapore.

Modern copies of the book are also to be distributed around the coffee houses of the island in the hope that the words of the historic novel will promote the area as effectively as a modern marketing campaign.

The 1877 edition of the book has been presented to the National Library of Singapore by Yorkshire's tourism board, which is hoping to introduce the island republic to the joys that Bront's work has brought to millions.

The ceremony took place aboard the Hull & Humber, the UK entry into the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, when the boat docked in Keppel Bay at Singapore.

In return, Yorkshire will receive award-winning Malaysian author Su-Chen Christine Lim's critically-acclaimed novel, Fistful of Colours.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, explained: "Wuthering Heights is a symbolic gift to give the people of Singapore. It is famous the world over for its dramatic and evocative images of the Yorkshire landscape, and school children both in Singapore as well as the UK learn a love of literature through the Bronts' work. We hope this gift highlights the uniqueness and vibrancy Yorkshire has to offer.

"We are offering a tantalising glimpse of Yorkshire to the wealth of potential tourists out here. China alone has over a fifth of the world's population and millions of people from China, Hong Kong and Singapore visit London every year. It's a small step to encourage them to travel to Yorkshire and experience a new view of the UK."

Welcome to Yorkshire has promised to distribute copies to coffee shops across the island.

People there will be able to read all about the turbulent life of the brooding, intense Heathcliff, to whom Gordon Brown once famously compared himself.

The ceremony saw the rare edition of Emily Bront's novel, sourced with the help of the Bront Parsonage in Haworth, handed over to Dr N Varaprasad, the Chief Executive of the Singapore National Library Board, in the first Yorkshire marketing campaign to hit Singapore's shores.

Dr Varaprasad was delighted with the present.

He said: "As we know, the story itself has given rise to numerous adaptations and inspired works in the arts field, so this gift will be treasured by Singaporeans. I would like to thank Welcome to Yorkshire for facilitating this generous gift."

Author Su-Chen Christine Lim, who has donated her novel Fistful of Colours to the people of Yorkshire, said: "On the surface, Yorkshire and Singapore seem worlds apart. One is known for its expansive green and rugged landscapes, the other for its city spaces. Yet the two novels, Wuthering Heights and Fistful of Colours, chosen for this historic cultural exchange, share universal themes like love, passion and betrayal.

"Both critically-acclaimed novels reveal the history, culture and spirit of the land and its people. Although written in a different time and context, both novels will deepen the reader's understanding of passion, love and art."

Her 1992 novel, which won the Singapore Literature Prize, tells the tale of Suwen and her dysfunctional family, who has to cope with the horrors of a stepfather who abuses her and not knowing who her real father is.

The tourism drive roadshow will also be travelling to China and Hong Kong to encourage Far East tourists to visit Yorkshire.