What Would Jane Do?

Thanks for listening. Do text us with topic ideas or reactions. There's trend for involving Jane Austen in murder. What would she make of that? In this episode we are joined by Vanessa Kelly, author of Murder at Donwell Abbey, the second book in a series that imagines Emma after her marriage as a sleuth in her local community. We discuss law and order in Jane's world and Vanessa tells us  how her book came about and her plans for the characters. Julia Golding shares her own murderous thoughts for The Austen Intrigue, her novel also out for the 250th anniversary of Jane's birth, which deals with a real murder in the Austen circle. Fascinating stuff! 

An unusual episode - a visit to the Holburne Museum, Bath, where Katy Macfarlane and Julia Golding visit the Illustrating Austen exhibition. Find out where you've seen the museum before!

Paula Byrne, author of Six Weeks by the Sea, and adviser on Sanditon TV series, talks to us (Julia Golding and Katy Macfarlane) about her new book. Prepare to be informed and entertained as we discuss abolition, leeches, and seaside adventures - as well as much more. You can find Paula on Instagram @paulajaynebyrne and you can buy her book from all good book stores.

Waking up to news of the casting of Netflix Pride and Prejudice? We've done a breakdown on our podcast What would Jane Do? of the new cast and what we might expect. We think it could be a great addition if they take the opportunity to explore fresh areas, particularly on the Bingleys. Listen to find out more. Let us know what do you think of the line-up? #WWJD #prideandprejudicenetflix 

Have you ever wondered why Jane Austen isn't counted among the Romantics of her era when she is now known now as the most romantic of writers? Julia and Katy take a deep dive into what Romantism was (poets such as Wordsworth and Byron) and discuss how Jane connected or criticised the literary movement of her era. In short, this episode is everything you need to know about Romanticism and were too afraid to ask! We end with our latest news about Jane Austen events and Julia's new book The Wordsworth Key which you can find here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wordsworth-Key-page-turning-historical-adventure-ebook/dp/B0DSZ94PDW/ or at your local bookseller.

Pistols at dawn? What would (and did) Jane Austen do about the practice of settling disputes with duels? Julia Golding and Kate Macfarlane romp through the history and laws of duelling, examine the famous cases in the period, including duels fought by women, and then turn to Jane's novels to find out what she thought on this subject. After a brief look at modern equivalents, we go on to give our review of the BBC TV series Miss Austen and the news about the balls to celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday this year (2025).

What would Jane do about crime and punishment? In this episode we delve into the history of crime and punishment in Jane Austen's era, discussing topics such as duelling, the lack of centralised law enforcement, and the discipline and punishment systems in the military, navy and elsewhere. The conversation also touches on the influence of class on crime and punishment, and the theme of crime in Jane Austen's novels. Is there any? Listen to find out! Kate also mentions the appeal at Chawton House library - you can find out more about that worthy cause at https://chawtonhouse.org.  And if you are inspired to read Julia's book The Elgin Conspiracy, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgin-Conspiracy-page-turning-historical-adventure-ebook/dp/B0D52JVXNG/

What did you think of Bridgerton Season 3? Julia Golding and Kate Macfarlane review the latest season but also put Lady Whistledown through her paces. They look at the real Lady Whistledown and the place for public scandalmongering. What was the role of gossip in Jane's world and where is it a major plot device in her novels? Stay tuned for Jane Austen news.  janeausten.co.uk Then type 'Jane Austen Festival 2024'. The page has links to all events and a festival programme.  https://austenvariations.com/gossip-and-scandal-in-jane-austens-world/

Julia Golding has been delving into the scandalous world of the Hell Fire Club for her new novel. This was a secret society that emerged out of the 18th century and had new admirers such as Jane's contemporary, Lord Byron. But what would Jane Austen make of this world of clubs and societies, usually the preserve of men? Julia and Kate Macfalane discuss. Were any open to women - and what were their alternatives. Which of her characters would belong to the Hell Fire Club? To buy Julia's book, go here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Persephone-Code-Julia-Golding-ebook/dp/B0CBYHBFRV/ To enter the short story competition, go here https://janeaustenlf.org/writing-competition-entry-2024

In a world exclusive the What would Jane do? team interview the person who bought that shirt - yes, you can meet the person who won the auction and find out the plans for it going forward. In the same auction was the yellow pelisse worn in the 2020 Emma - find out where that is going as well. We also talk about Jane and celebrity culture, Byron, Nelson and much more. Here are the links we mention: Bringing a piece of television history to Calderdale | News Centre - Official news site of Calderdale Council The Celebration - Sanditon Appreciation Society And to order Julia's new book - a Regency thriller called by her publishers 'Bridgerton meets The Da Vinci Code' please go here for Amazon or support your local bookshop.

In our seasonal round up of the year we take Jane Austen to confront that theme of the year - artificial intelligence. What are the parallels in her era? Would she embrace change or hate it? Learn about frame breaking and factory reform. Has technology always been coming for our jobs? And stay tuned for some excruciatingly funny Ai attempts at writing in the style of Jane Austen. To book Chawton House: https:/www.airbnb.com/chawtonhouse To find out about becoming a Jane Austen festival Steward: Go to the Jane Austen festival website.

What would Jane do about 'Who do you think you are?' Today we have a very special guest, Caroline Jane Knight, descendent of Jane Austen's brother Edward. Caroline devotes much of her time to the legacy of her famous fifth great aunt, running the Jane Austen Literary Foundation and supporting Chawton House. Find out what it was like to grow up in the family's ancestral home - a Tudor mansion - what it takes to come to terms with losing that home, and the return to enjoying the family associations with Chawton. And what trait does Caroline share with Jane? Stay tuned for our Darcy and Wickham of the week - and our Jane Austen news. For more information about Caroline's work https://janeaustenlf.org https://chawtonhouse.org For the Jane Austen Festival https://janeausten.co.uk/pages/festival-home-page For the Caroline Herschel play: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queen-of-the-night-caroline-herschel-tickets-643705298877?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete&keep_tld=1

On the 210th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice, Julia and Kate discuss first impressions (also the first title of P&P). We run through how first impressions were created in Regency England so if you wanted a quick guide to the society of Jane's era - here it is! We then discuss social mobility and what Jane made of that. Could Jane be understood as an author whose plots are about first impressions? We go on to draw out lessons for today, appoint a Darcy and Wickham of this episode, and then on to our Jane Austen news!

Recorded on Jane Austen's birthday Julia and Kate turn our attention to the giving and receiving of presents! First we stop by Georgian Christmas traditions and then think about how Jane's presents are like bombs going off in the narrative. Stay tuned for the news and the Darcy and Wickham of the week!

We've just come through a period of changing leaders, from the passing of Queen Elizabeth and the changing of Prime Ministers in the UK, to American midterm elections. What would Jane do when it comes to leaders? We look at the range of leaders in her time from royals to military, and then go on to think about her leading men (and ladies). Is the secret of why Mr Darcy is a character who gets into all our hearts because of his leadership qualities? Stay for Austen news including a new book from Julia Golding - a Middle Grade book, Jane Austen Investigates: The Convict's Canal, inspired by Pride and Prejudice. And Kate tells us about the return of balls and assemblies near you!

Were you delighted or outraged by the recent Netflix adaptation of Persuasion? Well then, this is the podcast for you to vent your views! Julia Golding and Kate Macfarlane take a look at the 18th century tradition of adaptations that Jane Austen herself would have known and in fact uses in her own writing. They then go on the discuss what was right (and wrong) about the 2022 Persuasion, comparing it to previous attempts in 2007 and 1995. Find out which one they think got it right. Do you agree? They then go on to discuss whether Sanditon is an adaptation, or indeed, anything to do with Jane Austen! Adaptations are at their most interesting when they have something new to say so they close by comparing Darcys. Stay tuned for Austen news. We love to hear from our listeners so if you have something you'd like to discuss, please get in touch at www.goldinggateway.com

Recent events have brought war back to the forefront of our minds. Jane Austen lived during a period of almost constant war. It was the background to her life with a huge proportion of the population,  including two of her brothers, in the armed services. What was war like in her day? Kate Macfarlane joins Julia Golding to discuss this. Kate has impressive expert knowledge thanks to her time with the 33rd Foot Regiment, a re-enactment group. This really is a must-listen if you want the nitty-gritty details explaining army life. Is it fair to say Jane didn't address the war in her novels and was out of touch with the political events of her day? Have a listen and see if you agree with our views on the subject and why Julia thinks Jane has something in common with the writer of Derry Girls. Kate gives the latest Jane Austen news. http://33rdfoot.co.uk https://janeaustens.house https://janeausten.co.uk/pages/festival/summer-ball-2022/

Who would you like to come to your bookclub? We are guessing many of us would pick Jane Austen. In this episode Julia Golding (Jane Austen Investigates) and Kate MacFarlane,  Jane Austen super fan, discuss what were the equivalent in Jane's day, where she got her reading material from, how publishing worked, and we even pause for some short tasters of the kind of books that were best sellers in her day. Prepare to have goosebumps with The Castle of Otranto and some impassioned poetry from Cowper that Marianne thought Edward Ferrars didn't do justice to! Stick around to find out how her characters would be have in bookclub. #JaneAusten #WWJD #Bookclub

Julia Golding and Kate Macfarlane take a light-hearted look at the questions of what kind of man you should aspire to be! Reviewing the models available in Jane Austen's era, from the 1770s fop to the Byronic heroes of the 1810, they discuss what qualities were expected of men. They then turn to Austen's works and see what she admired - and disliked - in men of her era. Why is there very little description of what people look like in her works? What would she make of our Romance Novel front cover model of bronzed chest and rippling hair? Which character would put in for plastic surgery? Finally, Julia and Kate turn to her for wisdom on today's issues of gender and sex, as well as the cancel culture. Is it time for a duel?

In this episode, Julia Golding is joined by Katherine MacFarlane, expert on Regency fashions thanks to her participation in the re-enactment world of the 33rd Foot. (There is also a version of this on YouTube if you want to see the visuals referred to during the discussion.) Where would Jane get her fashion news from and how were clothes bought and designed? Was there such a thing as fast fashion or 'the little black dress'? It is a wide ranging discussion in which they only have time to scratch the surface so here are some links from Kate to help with further exploration: Kate's Regiment: His Majesty’s 33rd Foot, First Yorkshire West Riding His Majesty's 33rd Regiment of Foot (33rdfoot.co.uk) For Regency Fashion of your own  Badger Historic Costumes : Replica costumes - Museum Educ https://www.historic-costumes.co.uk lady who made Kate's cap Crafty Baggage – Hand Made With Love https://craftybaggage.co.uk lady who made Kate's mustard dress from fabric she provided. HatsPeriod.co.uk | Quality Historical Headwear www.hatsperiod.co.uk for male and female headwear   and for those in America: The name “Shocking Bad Hats” comes from a quote from the First Duke of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo and Prime Minister of Great Britain, 1828-1830. Upon leaving a session of Parliament, a journalist asked His Grace to give his impressions of the proceedings. His sole reply was, “I never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life!” About - Shocking Bad Hats shocking-bad-hats7.mybigcommerce.com/about/   Books:  ‘Jane Austen in Fashion’ -Penelope Byrde ‘The Costume of Yorkshire’ - George Walker ‘The Pocket- a hidden history of women’s lives, 1660-1900’- Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux (I did not mention Pockets!! Or Gloves! OR Clocked Stockings!! Aaargh! Maybe next time.)  And for your Christmas coffee table: ‘Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion -1795 -1815’ by Martin Lancaster and Cristina Barreto (This is expensive at £40.00 but SO worth it and beautiful- they have used their own collection of real Regency fashion to recreate fashion plates.)