Introducing JASP 2026: Pride, Prejudice, and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Emma Zuder
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Welcome back, Janeites! The 2026 Jane Austen Summer Program (JASP), titled “Pride, Prejudice, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through a four-day public humanities symposium exploring the Enlightenment roots of American democracy and the transatlantic exchange of political ideas.
To honor this milestone, JASP is relocating from UNC Chapel Hill to Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, a state closely associated with the American founding. Plenary lectures will be delivered by leading Austen scholars Anne Fertig, Maria Frawley, Michael Kramp, and Juliette Wells. Anchored by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and the Declaration of Independence, the program will investigate how literature and political philosophy elaborate themes of liberty, comity, happiness, and civic responsibility. Participants will engage with the Declaration and Pride and Prejudice in tandem through discussions, workshops, performances, and public events. The program will also offer a site visit to Fort Ligonier—key to the Seven Years’ War and relevant to the military careers of Austen’s brothers—and conclude with a Regency Ball. These activities will celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America and deepen public understanding of democratic ideals in contemporary civic life.
In the meantime, below is a sneak peak of highlights to look forward to in the JASP 2026 program. Register for JASP 2026 today!
Opening Banquet
Attendees will gather for an evening of refreshment and revelry to kick off JASP 2026; our first plenary lecture will follow.
Fort Ligonier
Attendees will have the opportunity to visit the Historic Site and Museum of Fort Ligonier, which is located about 30 minutes away from Seton Hill University. The Site and Museum reconstructs and presents the historic impact of the Seven Years War, the British Empire, and the founding of Pittsburgh.
Information sourced from https://www.fortligonier.org/.
Regency Ball
As part of JASP tradition, attendees are invited to the Regency Ball for a night of country dance, games, and refreshments. Our Dance Master, Jeremy Gersham (a.k.a. Mr. Charles Steplively), will be instructing dance practices throughout the program to prepare for the Ball. Mr. Steplively is the incumbent Dancemaster for the Regency Society of Virginia.
Adaptations Panel
Be sure to attend the "adaptations" panel, a session centered on how Austen’s work lives on beyond the page and into our current world—especially through reinterpretations in different media, genres, and cultural contexts. In a rather fitting manner, the adaptations panel comes at the end of the program, leaving attendees with the sense that Austen is not quite done speaking to us.
Plus, don't miss:
Meeting the Dance Master and Dance Practice
Elevenses
"Context Corners" with Discussion Groups
Silent Auction
Costume Rental
And more!
Join us again in the coming weeks for insider’s guides to Seton Hill University and Greensburg, where we’ll be hosting JASP 2026. The Jane Austen Summer Program is designed to appeal to anyone with a passion for all things Jane Austen. Attendees include people from all walks of life, as well as established scholars, high school teachers, and students from middle school through graduate school.