What Would Jane Do?

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.
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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/

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?

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/