The new publisher of Jane Austen’s Regency World, Tim Bullamore, will be in Chicago for the JASNA AGM in October to sign up JASNA members for subscriptions at a 20 percent discount–which helps a little with the wicked exchange rate. For JASNA members who can’t attend the AGM, and for JAS members in the UK as well, a link has been set up to take advantage of this special offer.

Thanks to JASNA President Marsha Huff, who let us know about this offer and about Tim’s appearance in Chicago.

Jane give us strength, because we actually have to do a bally news roundup about this thing. Zero hour approacheth, fellow Janeites, and we feel a disturbance in the Force.

Alert Janeite Helen sent us a review from The Times, and it is hard to tell if it is unkind or if the reviewer is just being snarky.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any predictable drivel ever written about Jane Austen has to begin with those six words. In this respect alone, ITV’s big-budget, time-travel costume drama Lost in Austen does not disappoint.

In nearly all other respects, however, it does. At some point in the preliminary meetings for this stupid, stupid programme I bet you somebody will have said “Life on Mars meets Pride and Prejudice!” And somebody else will have clapped, and decided that this was a very good idea. These people were morons. Take them out, ITV, and shoot them.

Well, that seems clear enough. (more…)

(Yes, that is a Barry Manilow reference in the title, if you were wondering.)

A few days late, but better than never, we present our weekly (if we have them) roundup of listings of local events of interest to Jane Austen fans. These events might not be local for you, but hang in there, for someday you might see YOUR town on the listing.

September 5-7, 2008, Hyde Park, Vermont: The Governor’s House will sponsor a Jane Austen Weekend themed around Persuasion. Activities include book discussions, a talk on “Jane Austen’s Time,” and a quiz over brunch. Prices start at $295 for singles and include meals and lodging–quite a deal! If that weekend is bad for you, there are some other dates planned, and it looks like they’ll be doing a P&P-themed weekend next year. Check out the link above for all the details.

September 8, Coshocton, Ohio: The Coshocton Public Library will have a book discussion on Sense and Sensibility at 7 p.m. (The article says Sept. 7, but it also says Monday, so we’re guessing they mean Sept. 8.)

Let us know about your local Austen-related events and we’ll be happy to list them.

DVD Times is reporting that a Blu-Ray DVD of P&P95 will be out in October. This will be good news to many disappointed with the bad color transfer on the DVD versions to date. Note it says “Region TBD.” Hopefully there will be releases in all regions for everyone who wants one.

Returning to the original film negatives this classic drama has been painstakingly restored frame-by-frame. 5.1 audio has also been created from the original soundtracks.

The 2-Disc Blu-ray release also features extras including a retrospective with interviews from Andrew Davies, and Costume Designer Dinah Collin. Region coding is TBC.

The administrator also says in comments,

The PR also says “Colours are now rich and vivid with previously unseen details, such as lace and fabric texture, revealed for the first time.”

Good news all around.