We received word today that The Democratic Genre: Fan Fiction in a Literary Context by Sheenagh Pugh will go on sale August 1. In this book, Professor Pugh, a lecturer at the University of Glamorgan and a renowned poet, concentrates on the fan fiction of several fandoms, including Jane Austen. From Professor Pugh:

I wrote this book to show how fan fiction fitted into a long tradition of canon writing and how it had evolved today. Friends within the community, and many writers I didn’t know, gave me their co-operation, which is why I’ve been able to quote so much, not only fiction but writers’ observations on how they work.

I’ve discussed all manner of fandoms, including Austen, Hornblower, Blakes 7, Discworld, The Bill, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes and others too numerous to mention. Gen, het, slash, metafic, fan poetry, serial stories, drabbles. If you want to read about the workings of the Live Kennedy Universe, J K Rowling’s attitude to fan fiction or the effect of the Trousers of Time on character death in Discworld fic, it’s here. As are parallels between the way profic and fanfic writers use drabbles, play intertextual games and discuss male vulnerability.

Disclaimer: the Editrix is one of the authors quoted in the book. Dorothy has a space on the bookshelf all ready for it, with a little vase of fresh flowers beside. We are trying to ascertain if the book will be available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, so stay tuned.

Alert Janeite Laura sent us links to several other upcoming books of interest: nonfiction, paraliterature, audiobooks, and more. Jane is hot right now! (more…)

Fiona McCade writes about confinement, Jane Austen-style, at scotsman.com.

WHEN I WAS about 17, I realised that I had read all but one of Jane Austen’s works. This was a bit of a blow to my youthful sensibility, because I couldn’t bear to think that I’d never have the joy of discovering another Austen book afresh. So I decided I’d save that final novel and assiduously avoid ever finding out about the plot or the characters until I was good and ready to read it.

Then the question arose of when the best time for this indulgence would be - how long to hoard this prize?

For the teenage me, the answer was easy. The ideal time to read Persuasion would be when I was pregnant, because when you’re pregnant, you just lie around and do nothing for nine months, don’t you?

Alert Janeite Cordelia sent us a link to an entry at the Open Writing ‘zine that is a Douglas Adamesque take on how Jane Austen got her ideas.

Jane often reminded her sister that she was free to write her own stories, which would be better than commenting critically on her own work. She was particularly incensed by the pettiness of some of her remarks.

“I don’t think Daneford-Yersley is a good name for this family you’re writing about. Sounds too, well, pretentious,” said Cassandra.

“So you would call them …?”

“Something much more simple, say, Robinson or - I know! - Bennet. That’s it: Bennet. That would fit in very nicely, I think. Certainly not Daneford-Yersley. People would laugh at that.”

[. . .]

That is why instead of Edward Batbroke we have William Collins, instead of Baroness Mountkreisen we have Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Sir Denzil Potts became plain George Wickham.

It’s hard to explain, but amusing. Just go read it. After all, for what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours and laugh at them in our turn?

The fantasy of women worldwide: Mr. Darcy serves them coffee.

British heart-throb COLIN FIRTH has taken time out from acting to serve up coffees in global cafe chain Progreso - and his temporary career change is all in the name of fair trade.

The LOVE ACTUALLY star is a director of the high street coffee shops, which aim to solve the trade crisis that currently plagues coffee growers all over the world.

And Firth is happy to get involved and whip up a cappuccino, although he leaves his London customers unfazed at being served by a celebrity.

He says, “Having (my PRIDE AND PREJUDICE character) MR DARCY serve the coffee is a practical way of using my profile without giving everyone ear-ache.

“People seemed to think there was nothing more normal than having me serve their cappuccinos and espressos.”

Ha!