There’s a forthcoming must-read volume on Austen and Asia, and Jane Austen and Co. is diving deep with a discussion series based on the book.
The series is meant to continue to explore the global context of Austen's life and times, this time by exploring the influences of Asian cultures on Regency England. Many of the authors with essays in the book will participate in the discussion series, including Markman Ellis, Noriyuki Harada, and Barnita Bagchi. Kimiyo Ogawa is a co-editor of the book with Tristanne Connolly.
According to Anne Fertig, a doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “We are delighted to bring in ten speakers with topics including nineteenth-century Indian women writers, modern theatrical Japanese adaptations, Indian influences on Western dress and textiles, and global tea drinking practices."
Asia & The Regency will feature three free lectures taking place on Zoom this fall (and available online afterward). The lectures will include:
November 18 – Jane Austen's Influence on Japanese Realist Novels: Kimiyo Ogawa (Sophia University) will discuss the influence of Jane Austen on early realism in Japan, focusing on famed Japanese author Natsume Soseki. (8pm ET) Sign up here.
December 2 – Global Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen: Fashion historian Hilary Davidson will talk about the Indian textile trade and its influences on Regency fashion, as well as the global links between India and the west. (8pm ET) Sign up here.
December 16 – Horace Walpole and China: Peter Sabor (McGill University) will present on eighteenth century author Horace Walpole and his Hieroglyphic Tales to explore the representation of China in English literature. (8pm ET) Sign up here.
Hundreds of Janeites attended each event in the last series, on Race and the Regency, demonstrating that modern audiences are still intrigued by the Regency era and Jane Austen’s writing and times.
Jane Austen &Co. won the North Carolina Humanities Council's Community Engagement Grants and a grant from the Carolina Asia Center.
Keep up with the series and register for the free discussions on the Jane Austen & Co. website.