The Telegraph has an extensive article on the filming of Persuasion 2007, including a photo of Louisa lying on the cobblestones and Captain Wentworth looking rather like he’s about to sprinkle her with holy water and give her last rites. We suspect they have not shouted “Action” yet; looks like they’re all standing around “enjoying the sight of a dead young lady.” It’s a good article in that it tells us a lot more about the film than we have heard previously–for good or ill. (more…)

AustenBlog is delighted to present an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming novel Captain Wentworth’s Diary by Amanda Grange, due to be released in June 2007. The scene starts whilst Louisa and the captain are gleaning nuts in a hedgerow near Winthrop. (more…)

Sam Leith at the Telegraph seems a little bored with the selection of Pride and Prejudice as the UK’s Number One Book You Can’t Live Without.

Perhaps, indeed, you will imagine visiting the homes of some of these voters and maliciously spiriting away their copies of Pride and Prejudice – the winning entry – JUST TO FIND OUT WHETHER THEY DO, IN FACT, DIE.

Murderer!

Goucher College is accepting applications for the Jane Austen Scholar-in-Residence Grant for the 2007-2008 academic year.

The residency offers the selected scholar a week to research Goucher’s Austen collection, work with related undergraduate classes, and present a public lecture on an Austen-related topic. The grant also provides a $1,000 stipend, travel expenses and accommodations.

Good luck to the applicants!

We do believe we’ve been called out. DOROTHY! Bring us the big knife Cluebat!

Some Austen fans have complained that Hathaway should never have got the job. To those people, who have been blogging indignantly for months, the idea that this extravagantly beautiful 24-year-old American, born in Brooklyn, should be entrusted with the task of playing the home-counties spinster who wrote all their favourite novels must seem like the worst kind of Hollywood blasphemy.

Certainly we’ve been blogging indignantly for months (years, even), but not about whether Miss Annie should have the role. We’re a heck of a lot more concerned about the Made Up Story. Not that that doesn’t stop us from snarking when she says something really stupid in the public press. We are unclear if her “people” think it’s cute or charming when she does so or if they are genuinely clueless as to how bad it makes their client appear, but really, the child needs some media training. When we are presented with such opportunities for pure comedy gold, we can hardly be expected to turn them down. This is, after all, AustenBlog. (more…)