Celebrate Jane Austen: Part II

Jane Austen's Life, Times, and Legacy

Jane Austen (1775-1817) wrote about two or three families in a small village, but she was connected to key events of her time: the Napoleonic Wars, the abolition of the slave trade, and more. Explore Austen’s world through an examination of her life, her family, and her works.

Check out Part I! Thursday, August 7th (same time)

Pride and Prejudice and Popularity

What makes Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, so beloved? How has it inspired so many movies and spin-off novels? With retellings set in India, Utah, a Muslim community in Toronto, a high school debate team, a Chinese-American family in New York, or a world with dragons, there is a Pride and Prejudice for everyone. Come explore the world of the fandom and learn to read Austen in a new light.

Allison Thompson is a dance historian, writer, and folk musician specializing in English country dance. Her papers on Jane Austen and the fandom include “Jane Austen, DragonRider,”  “Trinkets and Treasures; Consuming Jane Austen,” and “The Felicities of Rapid Motion; Jane Austen in the Ballroom.” Her most recent book is Dances from Jane Austen’s Assembly Rooms. Allison is the Coordinator of the Pittsburgh Region of the Jane Austen Society of North America.