History

  • Celebrating Jane Austen 250

    Celebrating Jane Austen 250

    This week, on 16th December, we reached the milestone of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. Austen is a phenomenon, as well as a person. It never ceases to amaze me when I sit and think about how the clever, witty and profound words from one woman’s pen have created a worldwide community of people who love, read more

  • Book Review | “The Worlds of Jane Austen”, by Helena Kelly

    Book Review | “The Worlds of Jane Austen”, by Helena Kelly

    We are so spoilt this year for wonderful books celebrating the life, legacy and work of Jane Austen. I was so excited to discover that Helena Kelly had written a new book: I have waxed lyrical before about her book Jane Austen: The Secret Radical, which I recommend all the time. Her new book, The read more

  • Book Review | “Wild for Austen”, by Devoney Looser

    Book Review | “Wild for Austen”, by Devoney Looser

    I’ve long been of the opinion that anyone who thinks Jane Austen and her work is prim, or staid, or old-fashioned, is completely missing something. Austen is not exactly the (early nineteenth-century equivalent) of thrilling car chases and nail-biting mystery, but she and her work is so much… well, wilder than she is generally given read more

  • Exhibition | Jane Austen: Down to the Sea

    Exhibition | Jane Austen: Down to the Sea

    People in eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century Britain loved the seaside. It’s an important period in the growth of a seaside resort holiday, and towns like Brighton and Lyme Regis grew exponentially. Jane Austen frequently referenced seaside towns, or indeed, took her characters there. She even began to create a whole fictional resort of Sanditon, before having read more

  • Book Review | “Six Weeks By The Sea”, by Paula Byrne

    Book Review | “Six Weeks By The Sea”, by Paula Byrne

    I hope you’re enjoying celebrating Jane Austen 250 this year! I feel like I am in the midst of a very Jane Austen summer – and have been a little silent on my blog as I have some very exciting articles coming out soon that I’ve been writing instead. But, for now, I am incredibly read more

  • New Podcast | HistoryExtra, “Jane Austen: Life of the Week”

    New Podcast | HistoryExtra, “Jane Austen: Life of the Week”

    Hello and happy February! This year is already shaping up to be a true Jane Austen year, and I’ve been celebrating by having a wonderful conversation with Emily Briffett at BBC HistoryExtra about the life of my favourite author/woman in history, which is out today wherever you listen to your podcasts! I hope that you read more

  • Discover Jane Austen’s London with a Historic Walking Tour (with me!)

    Discover Jane Austen’s London with a Historic Walking Tour (with me!)

    Happy Friday and I hope you are having a wonderful new year! I am really excited to share a project I’ve been working on for a little while – that has perfect timing to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday this year. I’d like to invite you to come and discover Jane Austen’s London with a read more

  • The Publishing Journey of Jane Austen

    The Publishing Journey of Jane Austen

    Today is Jane Austen’s 249th birthday, which means we are now officially in her 250th year: I am so excited for all the events and publications (I already have my tickets to tour 8 College St in Winchester), as well as having a few of my own up my sleeve, and so I wanted to read more

  • “Widow Clicquot” Review for BSECS Criticks

    “Widow Clicquot” Review for BSECS Criticks

    You might remember that earlier this year, I shared this post about the fascinating life of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, the Widow Clicquot who revolutionised the Clicquot champagne house to be the Veuve Clicquot it is world-renowned as today. Well, I am very happy to share a review I wrote of that film for BSECS Criticks read more

  • New Podcast | Past Matters, “The Queen of the Bluestockings”

    New Podcast | Past Matters, “The Queen of the Bluestockings”

    Hello! I recently had a wonderful chat with the lovely Ploy Radford of the Past Matters Podcast about one of my favourite eighteenth century women, Elizabeth Montagu. Montagu was the so-called Queen of the Bluestocking Circle, a group of intellectuals – both men and women! – who often met in her London home. You can read more

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