News for Austen Enthusiasts: February 2022

Happy International Women's Day! We hope you've had the opportunity to think about all the women who have had an impact on your life. What a day, then, to celebrate Jane Austen! Here's everything you might have missed in February.

Persuasion stage production gets underway 

The curtain is up on Jeff James' new interpretation of Persuasion, which is in Kingston until March 19th, before moving on to Alexandra Palace in April and then to the Oxford Playhouse in May. The team at WhatsOnStage went backstage to see preparations coming together >>

Sanditon Season Two gets release date

After a shock cancellation, leading man exit, long campaign and three year wait, Sanditon is back. Since being cancelled by ITV, the show has been picked up for two more seasons. Season two will premiere on Britbox on March 21st, with a terrestrial run on ITV expected later this year. Read more at the Radio Times >>

Mamma-to-be site Romper has compiled a list of Regency era baby names for fans of Austen. How about Lavinia? Henrietta? Or are you going to stick with something a bit more modern? Check out the full list on Romper. >>

We all know that the meaning of words can change over time, but Jane Austen's writing has such enduring appeal that we rarely think about how language might have changed since she put ink to paper. In this article, Ellen Gutoskey explores whether how we understand the words 'pride' and 'prejudice' now, aligns with how Jane would have when writing our favourite classic. Read the article at Mental Floss >>

A new trend report from weddings website Hitched says that Bridgerton is driving a Regency-style weddings trend. We're talking puffy sleeves and empire lines for dresses, and vintage china for your table settings. What do we think? Inspired or tacky? Read more at Stylist >>

Following the success of last year's Reputation, Lex Croucher has been commissioned to pen not one, but two more Regency romps. The first, Infamous, will be released on 21st July 2022, with the third to follow next year. Whilst the books will not follow the same characters, it appears we can expect all the same hedonism and misadventure that we loved in Reputation. Full details at The Bookseller >>

If you've read a lot of Regency romances, or have seen a lot of period TV, you might have heard characters talking about 'The Season' - but what on earth was it? This article from Tatler clears everything up. >>

Secret Cinema have made waves in recent years for their immersive cinema experiences, encouraging guests to dress up and dive in to the movie-going experience. They're back, now, with Bridgerton Ball, an immersive Regency experience for fans of the TV show. Learn more about the ball and how you can get tickets here >>

The longlist for the UK's biggest historical fiction prize has arrived, and it's loaded with great reads from a range of different periods. The shortlist is set to be announced in April, with the winner being unveiled in June. Find out more at Scottish Field >>

As always, we would love to know if we have missed anything, as well as all your thoughts on the news! Also, if you're planning an Austen themed event, play, lecture, or any other kind of get together you think we'd be interested in, please do get in touch! We'd love to give you a shout out.