News for Austen Enthusiasts: September 2025

I don't know about you but I'm pretty exhausted! It's already been such a busy year of celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen, and it's not over yet, but this month was a big one for us here at the Jane Austen blog. Of course, I'm talking about the Jane Austen Festival, which took place this September. We pulled out all the stops to transform Bath for the week, hosting the biggest celebration of Jane Austen's life and work to mark her 250th birthday. If you missed out on all of this year's festivities, well, you are in luck, because we've already announced next year's festival dates for your diary. 

It's not all over yet, though; we still have three months of celebrations left. So, as the days get shorter and the skies greyer, it's time to hunker down to get that big reread done!  

In the meantime, here's all the Jane Austen news and updates you might have missed in September!

 

Guardian photo gallery captures the magic of the Jane Austen Festival

If you weren't able to make it to Bath for the Jane Austen festival, you can get a sample of what it looked like in this charming photo essay from the Guardian. The article explores the festival in all its Regency glory through a series of photos interspersed with interviews and snippets of evocative description.

Read the essay and take a gander at the photos at the Guardian >>

 

Media takes notice of the Jane Austen Festival

The efforts of this year's festival to be bigger and better than ever have not gone unnoticed by the national media. The BBC covered the festival, commenting on how little the city has changed since the Georgian period, allowing festivalgoers to feel truly immersed in the world of Jane Austen

Read the BBC's coverage >>

 

Museum of English Rural Life joins the Jane Austen 250th celebrations

The Museum of English Rural Life in Reading is the latest to announce Jane Austen-themed activities for her 250th birthday. Visitors to the MERL can enjoy a Jane Austen trail, a new Jane Austen display, and, from November, heritage craft workshops.

Find out more on the University of Reading website >>

 

Competition-winning couple renew vows at Jane Austen Festival

Earlier this year, Bath and North East Somerset Council invited couples to come up with a romantic title for their own love story, with the winners receiving a Regency-themed wedding ceremony at the city's Guildhall. The winning couple, with a love story entitled ‘Poise and Pandemonium: The Unlikely Triumph of Miss Bumble,’ renewed their vows amongst all the festivities.

Read all about it at the Bath and North East Somerset Council website >>

 

Festivalgoers asked to compare Georgian Britain to the 21st century 

A reporter for the Big Issue talked to Jane Austen Festival attendees about their preferences when it comes to the Regency world vs. today. The interviewer asked whether attendees would rather live under Kier Starmer or King George, whether the fashion was better then than now, and what they woudl keep from the Regency. 

Read their answers at the Big Issue >>

 

AS ALWAYS, WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF WE HAVE MISSED ANYTHING, AS WELL AS ALL YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEWS!