There’s a Jane Austen Festival in England this summer
Every year, Jane Austen’s biggest fans gather together to celebrate one of the most important female writers of all time. The Austen devotees who descend on England each summer have a great time honoring her and her books.
Austen lived from 1775 t0 1817, yet her well-loved books and impact on popular culture certainly live on 200 years later. Her novels “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility” are considered literary classics, and she is widely considered one of the greatest English writers by both academics and the public.
The 2017 Jane Austen Festival is scheduled for Sept. 8 to 17, in Bath, England (Austen lived in Bath for a few years, and two of her books are set there, making it the perfect venue). More than 3,500 people attend the festival each year, according to organizers.
The Bath Box Office will be your spot for purchasing tickets. But whether you plan to jump the pond to celebrate or create your own mini-fest at home, the 2017 program has some serious Austen inspo.
Events include:
- Regency dance workshop
- Regency costumed masked ball and promenade
- A calligraphy workshop, to “write a letter like Jane Austen”
- Presentations like “Austen and the architectural imagination in ‘Northanger Abbey'”
- Theatrical comedy walks
- Minibus tour of Bath
- The Gothic Novel walking tour
Attending afternoon tea is also a must. Oh yeah, and you’re encouraged to wear period clothing. The festival website provides this wardrobe guidance for ladies:
The Regency lady’s look was dominated by a long dress with a high, empire waist, white gloves and a bonnet or other hat. Furthermore, the women wore an assortment of shawls, spencers and pelisses to cover up all visible skin from the neck down.
If you still can’t get enough Jane Austen, check your change if you buy something in England this fall. Also coinciding with the 200th anniversary of her death, Austen will grace a 10-pound note starting in September.
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