What Would Jane Do?

Thanks for listening. Do text us with topic ideas or reactions. Julia Golding and Kate Macfalane take a romp through Regency spinsterhood, inspired by the excellent new BBC series The Other Bennet Sister (based on Janice Hadlow's novel). Hear what they thought of the series and join them in finding out the facts underlying Mary Bennet's situation. They celebrate famous spinsters of the era, and dip into the novels for more examples including the most infamous exchange about how to treat a spi...

Thanks for listening. Do text us with topic ideas or reactions. There's trend for involving Jane Austen in murder. What would she make of that? In this episode we are joined by Vanessa Kelly, author of Murder at Donwell Abbey, the second book in a series that imagines Emma after her marriage as a sleuth in her local community. We discuss law and order in Jane's world and Vanessa tells us how her book came about and her plans for the characters. Julia Golding shares her own murderous tho...

Thanks for listening. Do text us with topic ideas or reactions. Have you ever wondered why Jane Austen isn't counted among the Romantics of her era when she is now known now as the most romantic of writers? Julia and Katy take a deep dive into what Romantism was (poets such as Wordsworth and Byron) and discuss how Jane connected or criticised the literary movement of her era. In short, this episode is everything you need to know about Romanticism and were too afraid to ask! We end with our l...

Thanks for listening. Do text us with topic ideas or reactions. Pistols at dawn? What would (and did) Jane Austen do about the practice of settling disputes with duels? Julia Golding and Kate Macfarlane romp through the history and laws of duelling, examine the famous cases in the period, including duels fought by women, and then turn to Jane's novels to find out what she thought on this subject. After a brief look at modern equivalents, we go on to give our review of the BBC TV series Miss A...

Thanks for listening. Do text us with topic ideas or reactions. Julia Golding has been delving into the scandalous world of the Hell Fire Club for her new novel. This was a secret society that emerged out of the 18th century and had new admirers such as Jane's contemporary, Lord Byron. But what would Jane Austen make of this world of clubs and societies, usually the preserve of men? Julia and Kate Macfalane discuss. Were any open to women - and what were their alternatives. Which of her chara...