What Would Jane Do?

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 thoughts for The Austen Intrigue, her novel also out for the 250th anniversary of Jane's birth, which deals with a real murder in the Austen circle. Fascinating stuff!

An unusual episode - a visit to the Holburne Museum, Bath, where Katy Macfarlane and Julia Golding visit the Illustrating Austen exhibition. Find out where you've seen the museum before!

Paula Byrne, author of Six Weeks by the Sea, and adviser on Sanditon TV series, talks to us (Julia Golding and Katy Macfarlane) about her new book. Prepare to be informed and entertained as we discuss abolition, leeches, and seaside adventures - as well as much more. You can find Paula on Instagram @paulajaynebyrne and you can buy her book from all good book stores.

Waking up to news of the casting of Netflix Pride and Prejudice? We've done a breakdown on our podcast What would Jane Do? of the new cast and what we might expect. We think it could be a great addition if they take the opportunity to explore fresh areas, particularly on the Bingleys. Listen to find out more. Let us know what do you think of the line-up? #WWJD #prideandprejudicenetflix

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 latest news about Jane Austen events and Julia's new book The Wordsworth Key which you can find here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wordsworth-Key-page-turning-historical-adventure-ebook/dp/B0DSZ94PDW/ or at your local bookseller.

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 Austen and the news about the balls to celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday this year (2025).

What would Jane do about crime and punishment? In this episode we delve into the history of crime and punishment in Jane Austen's era, discussing topics such as duelling, the lack of centralised law enforcement, and the discipline and punishment systems in the military, navy and elsewhere. The conversation also touches on the influence of class on crime and punishment, and the theme of crime in Jane Austen's novels. Is there any? Listen to find out! Kate also mentions the appeal at Chawton House library - you can find out more about that worthy cause at https://chawtonhouse.org. And if you are inspired to read Julia's book The Elgin Conspiracy, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgin-Conspiracy-page-turning-historical-adventure-ebook/dp/B0D52JVXNG/