Jane Austen’s reputation is so towering that it’s easy to assume she must have been unique—the only female writer of her era to produce work of lasting value.
But in fact Austen wrote in the context of an emerging female literary tradition whose contours can be glimpsed in her novels and letters, with their references to such contemporary authors as Maria Edgeworth, Frances Burney, Elizabeth Inchbald, Mary Brunton, Jane West, Hannah More, and Ann Radcliffe.
It’s that literary tradition that JASNA-New Jersey will be exploring at our next meeting, when we discuss Rebecca Romney’s new book Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend.
Romney is a rare-book seller, a podcaster, and a regular on the long-running History Channel reality show Pawn Stars. Her book profiles eight female writers whose work Austen valued, interweaving their stories with an account of Romney’s own journey as a reader and a collector.
Our meeting will take place over Zoom on March 15 at 2 pm (US Eastern), and Romney will be joining us for part of the conversation. Attendance is free, but you must register to receive a Zoom link. To do so, please email us at: jasnanewjersey AT gmail DOT com.
Jane Austen Society of North America - New Jersey Region 