News for Austen Enthusiasts : March 2023

Spring has gotten off to something of a clunky start here in England; to say that it has "sprung" would be extremely generous. Nonetheless, daffodils and tulips abound, and little lambs are scurrying about the countryside on their little spindly legs. Hopefully, no matter which of the many holidays you celebrate around this time of year, you've had a bit of time off to rest, recuperate, and read a good book.

Here's all the Jane Austen news you might have missed in March! 

The house that stands on the land of Jane Austen's birthplace at Steventon, Hampshire is up for sale! Though it is not the house of Austen's early childhood, the current Steventon house was the vision of her brother Edward and retains many of the Georgian features that Austen fans love. However, to live your own little bit of Austen history will cost you a pretty penny, with a guide price of over $10mil. Yikes! 

The UK's Queen Consort has been using her new title to make waves in the literary space. One of her first moves as Queen Consort has been to found a new festival, the Queen’s Reading Room, which will run out of Hampton Court Palace this summer. The inaugural literary festival will feature an array of exciting events, including an exclusively commissioned piece from Austen comedy troupe, Austentatious! The rest, for now, remains a mystery. 

In her Guardian 'Books of my Life' interview, academic and bestselling children's and non-fiction writer Katherine Rundell confesses that her go-to party trick is being able to quote passages of Emma off-by-heart. Pretty impressive - do any of our readers think they could show her up?

We know that Jane wrote screeds to her sister over her lifetime, charting her literary woes and successes as well as her personal trials and tribulations. Though we know that the sisters' correspondence was extensive over the years, only 160 extant letters still exist, thanks to Cassandra's diligent destruction of much of it after Austen's death. The few we do have, therefore, provide an invaluable insight into the author's day-to-day. This new acquisition by Austen's House at Chawton gives a rare insight into Austen's earlier life, having been written to Cassandra in 1798. In the letter, Austen details domestic goings-on and local gossip with her trademark wit and bite. The letter goes on display as part of an exhibit on Jane and Cassandra's sisterhood at Chawton. 

It feels like everyone has been talking about artificial intelligence recently - whether or not it is a threat or a boon. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but in the meantime, it is beginning to spit out some cool stuff. For example, a furniture company recently asked an AI to generate images of some of literature's most famous homes, including Mr Darcy's Pemberley. What do you think of the images they generated? Do they match the image in your head? 

World Book Day fell in early March, with young people (with the help of their beleaguered parents) up and down the country dressing up as their favourite characters from literature. Though some argue that the tradition is fast getting out of hand, becoming costly and time consuming for parents, it can still be fun to see everyone's creativity! Who did you dress up as? 

Have you ever read a fantasy romance and wanted to be swept off your feet at one of the magical balls? Well, that fantasy can now become reality thanks to new company Mystic Fate Events, who got their new venture started last month with a stunning ball at Edinburgh Castle. If you've ever wanted the excuse to put on a fancy gown and twirl the night away, now is your chance. Their next event is the Spring Court Ball, which will take place in the glamorous surroundings of Hylands Estate, Kent.