News for Janeites : January 2022

I can't believe it's already time for the first Jane Austen news of 2022. In the depths of winter, it's easy to feel a little down and gloomy, especially in those cold snaps, with icy winds and needles of rain! When I get like this, I seek out things that are comforting and familiar - like Austen! Here's your seasonal booster of Austen.

Autumn de Wilde's stunning Emma (2019) has just landed on Netflix. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character and Johnny Flynn as Knightley, this delicious adaptation has beaut costumes, comedy galore and plenty of romantic tension. If you missed out when it was in cinemas (just slightly before Covid took over our lives, I highly recommend catching it now! 

You may remember the news from last summer of the 22-year-old Neo-Nazi ordered to read Jane Austen in an attempt to dissuade him from accessing Far Right material. Whilst Ben John said that he enjoyed Shakespeare more than he enjoyed Austen, he was found to still be researching offending materials, including research into Hitler's image and liking tweets of Nazi soldiers. The controversial sentence has been abandoned, and John will now spend two years in prison. 

An amateur dramatics group based in Clatford, Hampshire, have dramatised the story of local girl Sarah Dowdy, whose correspondence with Austen between 1800 and 1804 was found buried in a trunk. Some have speculated that perhaps Dowdy may have provided some inspiration for Pride and Prejudice. The production, recorded as a film due to Covid-19 restrictions, will premiere on YouTube on the evening of February 10th. 

The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, have received an exciting donation of manuscripts and first editions, which includes first editions of  Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. The Honresfield Library also includes writing by the  Brontës, Burns and Scott. This comes as the result of a passionate campaign to ensure the documents stayed in the hands of public and academic institutions when they went up for auction at Sotheby's last year.

As always, we would love to know if we have missed anything, as well as all your thoughts on the news!