Jane Austen News - Issue 48
What's the Jane Austen News this week?
One Austen £5 Note Has Been Found
One of the four £5 notes which carry a mini 5mm engraving of Jane Austen has been found. The note was first paid to staff at the Square Cafe in Blackwood, South Wales, by the engraver Graham Short. Unfortunately no one recognised who he was at the time and staff unwittingly gave the note away in change. When it was announced in the national news that the £5 had been spent at the cafe customers flocked to the cafe and staff checked all to the notes in the till but it was already gone. The note turned up later in the purse of an elderly art fan who wishes to remain anonymous. She said she is going to give the note to her granddaughter as an investment rather than reaping the reward. The note is said to be worth £50,000. She is one generous grandmother!Jane Austen Letter Massively Exceeds Estimate
The recent auction at Sotheby's, in which a letter written by Jane Austen and early copies of her novels went up for sale, has had some astounding final sale prices. The letter written by Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra at the age of 25 sold for £150,000 – almost four times the lower estimate that was predicted for its sale (£40,000 – 60,000)! The letter was a window into the daily life of Jane Austen, and is one of a series of letters written by Jane to Cassandra when Cassandra was away visiting their brother Edward at Godmersham Park House in Kent from October 1800 through to February 1801. The letter includes an important reference to Harris Bigg-Wither.
Harris seems still in a poor way, from his bad habit of body; his hand bled again a little the other day, & Dr Littlehales has been with him lately.Jane accepted and then rejected Harris' offer of marriage two years after this letter was written. Jane's bibliocatch (cup and ball) game, estimated at between £20,000-£30,000, went unsold.
Jane Austen Class so Popular it's on Pause
Deidre Lynch, Bernbaum professor of literature since 2014, has found that her class Jane Austen's Fiction and Fans, is now so popular that she's had to temporarily stop offering it. Lynch has been offering the class since 2014, and in the two years since it first began it's become almost to big to handle anymore. The other issue, apart from its sheer size she says, is that "the materials we use in Houghton Library are getting worn away by the wear and tear.” She asks her students to examine primary evidence—the scrapbooks, commonplace books, and custom-illustrated texts of everyday nineteenth-century readers—to analyze the reading lives of people in Austen’s time: their habits, tastes, quirks, interactions. She also asks her students to create their own "fan art". One student re-composed the music to a film adaptation; other people have written songs; one person, (with totally charming results says Lynch) made Harriet Smith’s box of favourite treasures. At the Jane Austen News we're sad that the class has had to be put on hold, pleased that it was so popular, and jealous that we can't go and take part ourselves! It sounds like an amazing class!The Mysteries of Udolpho on the Radio
If you've ever wanted to read The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, one of the books which Jane Austen was satirising 
when she wrote Northanger Abbey, but haven't found the time to open the cover on the 704 page novel (give or take depending on print size), then this might be of interest.
when she wrote Northanger Abbey, but haven't found the time to open the cover on the 704 page novel (give or take depending on print size), then this might be of interest.On New Year's Eve at 2:30pm on Radio 4, the BBC will be broadcasting Hattie Naylor's one hour adaptation of Ann Radcliffe's gothic masterpiece. It will also be available online on the BBC's radio iplayer shortly afterwards. They're broadcasting it to accompany the episodes of Northanger Abbey which Hattie Naylor has also adapted, and which are being broadcast on weekdays at 10:45am on Radio 4 from December 19th to December 30th (also available online afterwards).
If you want to understand some of the in-jokes that Austen was referencing when she wrote Northanger Abbey, then this adaptation of Udolpho is a good opportunity.
Emily St Aubert is forced to leave France and go and live with her Aunt and her new husband, Count Montoni, in his isolated castle in Italy. Before long Emily discovers that the castle is a place of nightmares and Montoni a desperate man who will stop at nothing to terrorise both his wife and his niece.In this dramatisation Hattie Naylor has taken the core of the four volumes of the novel to explore those edicts most at the heart of the Gothic Novel.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
A number of Jane Austen fans in the US have been enjoying a festive Jane Austen based production called Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. In this charmingly imagined sequel to Pride and Prejudice, the ever-dependable Mary Bennet is growing tired of her role as dutiful middle sister in the face of her siblings' romantic escapades. When the family gathers for Christmas at Pemberley, an unexpected guest sparks Mary's hopes for independence, an intellectual match, and possibly even love. In brief: Lady Catherine De Bourgh has died, and her estate, Rosings, has passed into the hands of a distant cousin, Arthur de Bourgh. As Arthur was an old school chum of Mr. Darcy’s, he has taken it upon himself to invite him over for Christmas. When he arrives, it becomes obvious almost immediately that he and Elizabeth’s book-loving sister Mary are a perfect match. Period-appropriate high jinks ensue.
It was all quite funny and touching. The four of us that went all liked it, as did the audience. It was totally sold out for its run, and they even added shows.A charming idea. We're somewhat sad at the Jane Austen News that we can't make it to the show ourselves!Tamara Church, California
Lizzy and Darcy Do (Rap) Battle
Jane Austen News is our weekly compilation of stories about or related to Jane Austen. Here we will feature a variety of items, including craft tutorials, reviews, news stories, articles and photos from around the world. If you’d like to include your story, please contact us with a press release or summary, along with a link. Don’t miss our latest news – become a Jane Austen Member and receive a digest of stories, articles and news every week. You will also be able to access our online Magazine with over 1000 articles, test your knowledge with our weekly quiz and get offers on our Online Giftshop. Plus new members get an exclusive 10% off voucher to use in the Online Giftshop.Read more
Augusta Bramstone
What's the Jane Austen News this week? Jane Austen's Mother Not a Fan of All Her Work... Mansfield Park is probably Jane's least popular novel, and it appears that readers of today are n...
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Bridget Jones
What's the Jane Austen News this week? Jane Austen's England - Limited Edition American travel company Peregrine Adventures have an excellent Jane Austen literary tour planned for...
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