Gah! I've been so busy with Austen stuff!!!

I've got:

• a talk at a virtual conference tomorrow
• group read (two of them!) starting next week
• a meeting next weekend
• a movie the following weekend
• oh and in between those last two, an awards thingy

So, ah, sorry this email isn't more entertaining and may instead feel a little frenetic...

Thank you for your kind words about Pat. His memorial at the start of the month was more laughs than tears, a fitting tribute. Raewyn and I are editing Call It Hope (another thing keeping me busy), that we're going to dedicate to him.

We didn't win that competition but we can still say we were finalists! The Austen Society is a finalist too: for the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards.

I got a little over excited about the retreat and released tickets early - there are currently 4 spaces left. Plus next month we've got an advanced screening of Jane Austen Wrecked my Life. Tomorrow I'm doing a talk for Virtual JaneCon (mixing two of my favourite things!) and on Saturday we've got a meeting with Sam Brooks talking about his modern queer stage adaptation of Emma.

Thing are super busy but I wanted to pop into your inbox today in case you wanted to see the talk tomorrow (it's on YouTube and will remain up after).

Ngā mihi nui,

Frances Duncan (she/they)

Author, Austenite, Life Coach

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2025 Austen Society Events

24 July – 16 October: Group Read: Sense and Sensibility $30 SOLD OUT

23 July - 15 October: Mini Group Read $15

26 July: After Austen: Em Eventbrite or Humanitix $30

3 August: advanced screening of Jane Austen Wrecked my Life $20

27 August: Roleplaying $20

27 September: Costuming Austen's Characters Eventbrite or Humanitix $30

18 October: Book Club: Sense and Sensibility $25

19 November: Role playing $20

16 December: Austen’s 250th Birthday! $60

Future Years Austen Society Events

2026: Diversity

• Group read/ book club: Unmarriageable, plus an online Q&A with the author Soniah Kamal (group read only)
• What if Wentworth Was a Woman. Talk by Amy Blythe, author of Within My Reach a Sapphic retelling of Austen’s Persuasion set in contemporary New Zealand
• Jane Austen and Bodily Diversity. An online talk by Kathleen James-Cavan 
• Beyond the Bookshelves: Diversity in Austen Retellings. A talk by Rachel Pilios

2027: Austen and Other Authors

• Harry Ricketts on Austen and Kipling
• Mark Houlahan on theatre in Mansfield Park with a focus on Lovers' Vows and Henry the Eighth
• Jocelyn Harris on Austen and Richardson
• Group read / book club: Old Friends and New Fancies (the first published Austen fanfiction)

2028: Austen and Medicine - seeking talks on topic

• Dr Emma Dunning on Gout in 19th Century Literature
• Group read / book club: Sandition