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The Jane Austen Society of the UK


Diary of Events : 2013

The following events include those arranged by the Jane Austen Society, together with a selection of further events with a Jane Austen theme offered by other organisations.

For details of events organised by individual Branches and Groups of the Jane Austen Society throughout the UK, please select the Branches link on the left of the screen.

For information on a broad range of other literary events (not necessarily linked to Jane Austen), consult the websites of the Alliance of Literary Societies and the Royal Society of Literature, both of which are included within our Links page.


Saturday 26 January
to 30 March

Regency Costume Display

This display includes a replica of the pelisse which was actually worn by Jane Austen herself, plus original garments worn in Regency times.
Venue: Curtis Museum, High Street, Alton, Hampshire.
Full details from the above link.

Monday 28 January
to 31 May

The Story of Pride and Prejudice Exhibition

This exhibition explores the story of the novel, the history of its writing, and what it means to visitors to the museum today.
Venue: Jane Austen's House Museum, Chawton.
Full details from the above link.

February to December

Celebration of Jane Austen at Winchester Cathedral

The Cathedral is planning several activities from February to December to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, including guided tours of the Cathedral and talks on the author and her works.
Full details from the above link, or the booking office: Tel 01962 857275.

Saturday 9 February

Pride and Prejudice Study Day

This event celebrates the publication of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice 200 years ago in January 1813. Four scholars of Austen will discuss her best-loved novel, with a variety of talks focussing on Austen's style, reception and legacy, her life and times, and 20th and 21st century adaptations.
Venue: Chawton House Library, Chawton, Hampshire.
Full details from the above link.

Thursday 14 February

Lecture on Pride and Prejudice

Speaker: Janet Johnston from the Jane Austen House Museum.
Venue: Victorian Manor House, Hillier Gardens, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0QA.
The lunch-time event has been sold out, but an additional lecture in the afternoon has now been arranged. Full details from the above link.
(See also details of event on Thursday 21 February at the same venue.)

Saturday 16 February

The Jane Austen Society 'London Study Day'

Venue: The Institute of English Studies, University of London.
Four lectures covering Jane Austen's works and issues of the period. The latter include the clergy, the Armed Forces, and landownership and marriage.
Full details from the above link.

Saturday 16 February to
Friday 15 March

Ode to Pride and Prejudice

Venue: Hinton Ampner, Bramdean, Nr Alresford, Hampshire SO24 0LA.
The event includes a display of their copy of the novel, together with a series of readings throughout the month.
Full details from the above link.

Thursday 21 February

Pride Before a Fall

Local historian Mary South looks at the seedier side of Regency Southampton in contrast to Jane Austen's view of Hampshire.
Venue: Victorian Manor House, Hillier Gardens, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0QA.
Price: £19.95. Includes lecture, two-course lunch, coffee and free admission to the gardens.
Full details from the above link.

March

Regency Costume Display

Venue: Curtis Museum, High Street, Alton, Hampshire.
See above entry for 26 January.

Wednesday 6 March
at 3 pm and 7.30 pm

Two talks by crime writer Lindsay Ashford

The author will talk about the startling discovery she made while living in Jane Austen's brother's house, and how this fuelled her novel The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen.
Venues: 3 pm talk at Basingstoke Discovery Centre, Festival Place, Basingstoke RG21 7LS (tel: 01256 478670), and
7.30 pm talk at Alton Library, Vicarage Hill, Alton GU34 1HT (tel: 01420 85734).
Tickets: £3 per person.
Further details from the above link.

Sunday 10 March and
Saturday 16 March

Tea with Miss Austen

Tea in the Refectory of Winchester Cathedral, followed by a spoken-word performance by 'Chapter and Verse'.
Title: 'Jane Austen : a woman of her times - and ours?'.
Full details from the above link.

Monday 25 March
at 3 pm and 7.30 pm

Two performances by actress Trisha Lewis

Using Jane Austen's own words, the actress suggests how the author would react to internet dating, celebrities and shopping, in her hilarious show What Would Jane Say?
Venues: 3 pm talk at Basingstoke Discovery Centre, Festival Place, Basingstoke RG21 7LS (tel: 01256 478670), and
7.30 pm talk at Alton Library, Vicarage Hill, Alton GU34 1HT (tel: 01420 85734).
Tickets: £3 per person.
Further details from the above link.

April to September

Jane Austen Walking Tours in Lyme Regis

Follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen and her characters around her beloved Lyme Regis. See where she stayed and set Persuasion.
Timings: April, May, June and July - Saturdays at 11.30 am.
            August and September - Wednesdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 1 pm.
Duration of walk: One and a half hours.
Starting point: The anchor at the bottom of Broad Street behind the Rock Point Inn.
Cost: £7 (adults) and £3.50 (children).
(Walks at other times of the year may also be arranged via the above website.)
Full details from the above link.

April to December

Musket and Muslin : Costume Guided Tours of Georgian York

These 2-hour walks have been researched and organised by a locally-born historian. Additional walks also available on other historical events related to the city. A programme of evening talks also available.
Starting point: Clifford's Tower.
Cost: £5 adults; £3.50 children.
Further details from above link.

February to December

Celebration of Jane Austen at Winchester Cathedral

A range of events throughout the year. See above entry in February. Full details from above link.

April to
end of May

The Story of Pride and Prejudice Exhibition

See above entry for 21 January.
Full details from the above link.

Monday 1 April

Scenes from Pride and Prejudice

Regular performances throughout the day of a range of scenes from the novel, enacted by Ruffled Umbrella, a small theatre company.
Venue: Jane Austen's House Museum and Gardens, Chawton.
Full details from the above link.

Thursday 18 April
at 6.30 pm

Filming Pride and Prejudice and other costume dramas

Film director Simon Langton will discuss his directing of the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.
Venue: Chawton House Museum.
Further details from the above link.

Friday 19 April
at 7.30 pm

Austen's Women by Rebecca Vaughan

This solo performance of extraordinary virtuosity explores some of Jane Austen's most celebrated female characters from all six novels - using only the author's own words - including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma.
Venue: Georgian Theatre, Richmond, North Yorkshire, the oldest working theatre in the UK.
Further details from the above link.

Friday 19 to
Sunday 28 April

Operatic performance of Mansfield Park by Hampstead Garden Opera

Music by Jonathan Dove, with libretto by Alistair Middleton.
Venue: Upper floor of 'The Gatehouse' in Highgate village (London N6).
Tickets: £20 (£18 concessions).
Further details from the above link.

Saturday 20 April
at 7.30 pm

Austen's Women : A performance by Rebecca Vaughan

Thirteen of Jane Austen's most celebrated female characters are brought to life through scenes from high comedy to profound pathos. Using only the author's words, the actress offers an illuminating distillation of 19th-century feminism.
Venue: Theatr Harlech, Harlech, Wales.
Further details from the above link.

Tuesday 30 April
at 8.00 pm

Lecture by Professor Janet Todd

Title: 'Bliss was it on that lawn: Jane Austen and the Private Moment'
Venue: Holy Trinity Church, High Street, Guildford.
Further details from the above link.

Wednesday 1 May
10.00 am to 1 pm

Chipping Campden Literature Festival : Three Jane Austen Lectures

1 : 'Sense and Sensibility - contemporary reworking 2013' : Joanna Trollope
2 : 'The Real Jane Austen 2013' : Dr Paula Byrne
3 : 'What Matters in Jane Austen - 20 Crucial Puzzles Solved' : John Mullan
Venue: Chipping Campden Literature Festival, Town Hall, Chipping Campden GL55 6AG.
Full details from the above link.

Thursday 9 May
at 6.45 pm

Kent theatre in the time of Jane Austen

Talk by Alan Stockwell of the Society for Theatre Research.
Venue: Kent History and Library Centre, James Whatman Way, Maidstone ME14 1LQ.
Tickets: £3 per person. For further information, phone 08458 247200, or e-mail historyandlibrarycentre@kent.gov.uk.

Friday 10 May
at 9.00 pm

Pride and Prejudice : Having a Ball

This television programme (on BBC2) sets out to capture the detail of a private ball in the time of Jane Austen. The 90-minute film includes every element of a ball, from the careful preparation of the food and clothes to the etiquette and manners expected of the dancers in the ballroom.
Observing the spectacle and splendour from the sidelines, social historian Amanda Vickery and literary expert Professor John Mullan will reflect on the ball and its role in society in the Regency Period.

Monday 13 May
at 2 pm

The History of Chawton

Local historian Jane Hurst is an expert on the area in which Jane Austen lived for the last years of her life, and will talk about the village of Chawton where the author wrote Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion.
Venue: Basingstoke Discovery Centre, Festival Place, Basingstoke RG21 7LS (tel: 01256 478670).
Tickets: £3 per person.
Further details from the above link.

Wednesday 15 May
at 6.30 pm

So You Think You Know Jane Austen : The Ultimate Quiz

This event is part of the University College (London) Festival of the Arts, and involves a quiz devised by Professor John Mullan. Lovers of the novels will discover the answers to some crucial questions, including 'Why is it risky to go to the seaside?', 'How old is Mrs Bennet?' and 'What is the right way to propose marriage?'. This interactive session will lead to the unravelling of some of her cleverest tricks and puzzles.
The event is free and open to all, but registration is necessary.
Further details from the above link.

Friday 17 May
at 3 pm and 7.30 pm

Excavation of Jane Austen's Birthplace in Steventon

Archaeologists have been working on the site of Jane Austen's former home in Steventon in an attempt to unlock details of her early life, and are now ready to share the results. Debbie Charlton from Archaeo Briton will be revealing the group's findings and taking questions.
Venues: 3 pm talk at Basingstoke Discovery Centre, Festival Place, Basingstoke RG21 7LS (tel: 01256 478670), and
7.30 pm talk at Alton Library, Vicarage Hill, Alton GU34 1HT (tel: 01420 85734).
Tickets: £3 per person.
Further details from the above link.

Friday 17 May

Full reading of Pride and Prejudice

This reading is part of the national Museums at Night programme, promoting cultural events in museums, galleries and heritage sites.
Venue: Jane Austen's House Museum, Chawton.
Further details from the above link.

Saturday 18 May
at 7 pm

An Evening with Jane Austen : A musical performance by Southern Voices

This performance celebrates the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. It includes songs from Jane Austen's own music books, other musical pieces and readings.
Venue: St Mary's Church, Church Lane, Ewshot, Guildford GU10 5BD.
Tickets: £15, including wine and canapes.
Further details from the above link, and via tel: 01252 850336.

Monday 27 to
Friday 31 May

4-day Course celebrating Pride and Prejudice

An extensive analysis of the novel and its range of characters, conducted by Hazel Jones. The event also includes visits to filming venues.
Venue: Farncombe Estate, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7LJ.
Full details from the above link.

February to December

Celebration of Jane Austen at Winchester Cathedral

A range of events throughout the year. See above entry in February. Full details from above link.

April to December

Musket and Muslin : Costume Guided Tours of Georgian York

See above entry in April.
Further details from above link.

Sunday 2 June
at 2.00 pm

Jane Austen and Marriage : Fact and Fiction

Talk by Marilyn Joice from the Northern Branch of the Jane Austen Society.
Learn more about the complexities and complications of romance and marriage in the Georgian period, and the significance of these issues in Jane Austen's novels.
Venue: York Mansion House, St Helen's Square, York.
Tickets: £4. (£3 concessions.) Pre-booking essential.
Further details from the above link.

Friday 14 June
at 7.30 pm

Outdoor performance of Pride and Prejudice

An evening with the Chapterhouse Theatre Company performing a Laura Turner adaptation of the novel.
Venue: Lytham Hall, near Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.
Further details from the above link. For location see http://www.lythamhall.co.uk

Thursday 20 June to
Saturday 20 July

Outdoor performances of Pride and Prejudice

A month's schedule of performances in central London, adapted for the stage by Simon Reade.
Venue: Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London.
Full details from the above link.

Friday 21 to
Sunday 23 June

Pride and Prejudice Conference

The conference will explore both the original historical context of the novel and modern adaptations through a series of talks by well-know Austen academics. The event will also include readings from the novel by popular modern authors and media figures, together with screenings of classic film and television adaptions.
Venue: Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge.
Full details from the above link.

Friday 28 June

Talk on the Rice Portrait of Jane Austen

Stephen Cole, technical director of Acume Forensics, will discuss his involvement in the process of establishing the provenance of this portrait. The evening will also include a presentation by Johnnie Nettlefold, son of Anne Rice, the owner of the portrait and descendant of Jane Austen's brother, to give a history of the painting.
Venue: White Hart Hotel, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Further details from the above link.

Saturday 6 July

Talk by Vivian Branson at the Tonbridge Arts Festival

The speaker is a longstanding member of the Jane Austen Society, and a committee member of the Kent Branch. Her talk will cover the author's life, her family and her novels.
Venue: Tonbridge Library.
Further details from the above link.

Sunday 7 July
at 2.00 pm

Regency Dance Workshop

In this year of the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, come and learn some of the dances that Jane Austen would have danced in this very venue when attending balls with her sister and the local militia. The workshop will be run by local dance expert and Regency dance teacher, Rosemary Hunt, with music by Orion's Ring.
Venue: St John's House, the Broadway, Winchester.
Tickets: £8. Further details from the above link.

Sunday 7 July
at 6.00 pm

'Jane Austen and the Miracle of Pride and Prejudice' : Talk by Elizabeth Proudman

The novel was published 200 years ago when Jane Austen lived at Chawton. The talk will discuss the history of the book from its origins twenty years earlier, when the young author wrote First Impressions in the tiny Hampshire village of Steventon. The speaker is Chairman of the Jane Austen Society and a Blue Badge guide.
Venue: St John's House, the Broadway, Winchester.
Tickets: £10. Further details from the above link.

Saturday 20 July

Jane Austen Society AGM and afternoon lecture

Speaker: Professor Peter Sabor, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Title: 'Jane Austen, R W Chapman and the Art of Emendation'.
Venue: Chawton, Hampshire.
Further details from the above link.

Monday 20 July to
Friday 9 August

3-week course on Jane Austen's England : King's College, London

The first week offers a foundation in literary analysis, focussing on Austen's place among, and relationship to, her literary contemporaries.
The second week considers her work within the context of the Regency period, including notions of leisure, pleasure and sociability, as well as attitude to money, manners and marriage.
The final week focuses on modern responses to Austen's world and characters, including re-imagings in other media or genres.
These courses are taught by tutors from both King's College and other institutions.
Full details from the above link.

April to December

Musket and Muslin : Costume Guided Tours of Georgian York

See above entry in April.
Further details from above link.

Sunday 25 August
from 6 pm to 10.30 pm

Open Air Theatre Production of Sense and Sensibility

A performance by the Chapterhouse Theatre Company.
Venue: Gilbert White's House and Garden, Selborne, Alton, Hampshire.
Full details from the above link.

February to December

Celebration of Jane Austen at Winchester Cathedral

A range of events throughout the year. See above entry in February. Full details from above link.

Thursday 5 to
Sunday 8 September

Jane Austen Society Annual Conference

The conference combines a wide range of lectures and presentations on the author and her writings, together with visits to venues in the region linked to the Regency period.
Venue: Sussex University, Falmer, Brighton.
Full details from the above link.

Friday 6 to
Sunday 8 September

Jane Austen's Library : Reading 18th-century Novels

Jane Austen often quotes and alludes to works of literature in her novels. This course, conducted by Lucien Jenkins, explores the books the author herself read, casting new light on her work, and giving fresh insight into her mind and purposes as a writer.
Full details from the above link.

April to December

Musket and Muslin : Costume Guided Tours of Georgian York

See above entry in April.
Further details from above link.

Tuesday 1 October

Costume Exhibition

An exhition of costumes from the 1995 BBC television production of Pride and Prejudice.
Venue: Jane Austen's House Museum, Chawton.
Full details from the above link.

Saturday 5 October

Looking Inside Jane Austen's Wardrobe

An illustrated talk by Alison Carter, Chair of the Southern Counties Costume Society, exploring what Jane Austen wore, where and when she bought and made her clothes, and what fabrics and colours she liked.
Venue: Jane Austen's House Museum, Chawton.
Full details from the above link.

Friday 18 to
Sunday 20 October

Who was Jane Austen?

200 years on, Jane Austen's plots and characters continue to delight a modern audience of readers, film-goers and television viewers. But what was the nature of this famous author? Discover the woman behind the writing on this weekend course, conducted by Hazel Jones.
Venue: Farncombe Estate, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7LJ.
Full details from the above link.