AustenBlog Reader Lynne sent us a link to her photo album from a Jane Austen pilgrimage she made to various sites in England, including Chawton Cottage, Winchester Cathedral, and Lyme Park. She got some great photos–check them out!

The Smithsonian Resident Associate Program will present “The Regency World of Jane Austen” on Saturday, December 2, 2006 in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian lecturer Bonita Billman will present on a variety of topics in this all-day program.

Your understanding of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion will be enhanced, whether through re-reading these books or viewing the movie versions.

9:30 to 10:45 a.m. The Personalities in Jane Austen’s World
The fascinating characters of the Regency, such as Beau Brummell; the Prince Regent; the Duke of Wellington; Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; Sarah Siddons; and Elizabeth Farren.

11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Regency Portraiture
Sir Thomas Lawrence, chief portraitist of the Regency age, and other artists.

12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch
Participants provide their own lunch.

1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Late Georgian Architecture
The city of Bath, about which Austen wrote so expertly.

3 to 4:15 p.m. Daily Life, Social Customs, Interior Design, and Fashion in Regency England

This sounds like a great event.

The Jane Austen Society of North America, Eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware Valley Region, is offering Jane Austen’s Lace note cards for sale. In a letter to her sister Cassandra in June 1799, Jane Austen wrote, “My cloak is come home, and here follows the pattern of its’ lace,” and drew a little lace pattern in the letter. The note cards include a reproduction of the lace pattern as well as the quote in the Jane Austen font. The print color is English Manor, the Colorstrology entry for December 16, Jane Austen’s birthday. The cards are $10 per package of eight plus shipping and handling.

And since it’s getting to be that time of the year again, the region still has a limited number of packages of Christmas cards for sale. The cards feature Jane Austen holding a sprig of holly and the message inside, “Wishing you all the gaiety that the season can bring.” The Christmas cards are $10 for a package of 10 cards plus shipping and handling.

Check out the Jane Austen Engagement Calendar other fabulous merchandise offered by JASNA regions. They make lovely gifts for yourself or your Janeite friends and relatives.

The Jane Austen Society of North America has put out a call for papers for a special edition of Persuasions On-Line to be published in July 2007 focusing on the 2005 adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

Persuasions On-Line announces a special issue on the most recent film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice: the 2005 Focus Features film starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen.

The film garnered the attention and praise of film critics and the Academy, earning Keira Knightley glowing reviews and a nomination for Best Actress. The scholarly reception of the film has been far more mixed and limited, and often considers the film only in the context of other Austen adaptations, especially the 1995 Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle BBC/A&E production. We invite papers that offer substantive critical readings of the 2005 Focus Features Production in a variety of contexts.

Guidelines are available through the link. When the issue is published we certainly will post a link.

We heard from Jane Odiwe, the author and illustrator of the delightful Effusions of Fancy, who has a new book coming out in February called Lydia’s Story. It is, as one might guess, the story of Pride and Prejudice from Lydia’s point of view, and continues the story as well.

The arrival of a whole regiment of militia is enough to set any young girl’s heart racing, but for Miss Lydia Bennet, the soldiers are the
embodiment of all her dreams. She is determined to be an officer’s wife and married before any of her sisters!

Lydia’s dream of following the regiment to the fashionable resort of Brighton comes true, she is soon the darling of all the officers and tempted not only by a handsome royal dragoon, but drawn to the irresistible charms of one already well known to her. But the road to matrimony is fraught with difficulties and even when she is convinced that she has met the man of her dreams, she quickly discovers that her hero is not the man she believes him to be. Before long his reputation has her running back to Hertfordshire to be reunited with Bennets, Bingleys and Darcys, meeting once again for a grand ball at Netherfield Park. Not only does Lydia discover the shocking truth about her husband which is set to cause the greatest scandal of all, but her best friend’s brother, the handsome but dour clergyman, Alexander Fitzalan, seems determined to vex and humiliate her at every turn. When she has no choice but to rely on this very gentleman to help her uncover the truth of her great predicament, Lydia discovers the biggest surprise of all.

It’s interesting that we had a conversation with a newer Janeite at the JASNA AGM about sequels, and she said she was looking for stories about the minor characters in P&P. We gave her a few fan fiction recommendations, but we are also pleased to have heard about two such books in just the past week or so.