JASP 2026: Interview with Anne Fertig, Plenary Speaker
- Gabriella Pate
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Gabriella Pate is a homeschooled high school senior and dual enrollment student at Seminole State College. Her prior writing experience is primarily academic, but she has ventured into creative writing, placing first in the youth category of Winter Park Library’s ‘Write Like Jane’ contest. Her general interests and hobbies include writing, reading, knitting, taking bicycle rides, studying history and languages, “The Lord of the Rings", and of course, everything about Jane Austen.
In anticipation of JASP 2026, we’re interviewing our esteemed staff and speakers. This year’s four-day symposium, JASP 2026: Pride, Prejudice, and the Pursuit of Happiness will take place June 11-14, 2026, in historic Greensburg, PA, the new JASP location for the foreseeable future. We will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by exploring topics that connect Austen's Pride and Prejudice to the revolutionary context in which it was written. Activities include workshops, small-group discussions, and lectures from renowned Austen scholars. And of course, our Regency Ball is an event not to be missed!
Our next interviewee the illustrious Anne Fertig, who will be one of the plenary speakers at JASP 2026. She has a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and currently works at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a content producer. She was a co-founder of Jane Austen & Co. in 2019 and is the host of the Finding Jane Austen podcast. Anne was a volunteer for JASP between 2016 and 2023. At one point, she served as treasurer.
What will your lecture be about?
In my lecture, I discuss the "revolutionary" act of reading for women in early America and draw connections between British women readers and American women readers. By exploring the origins of women's reading practices in the colonial period and the development of the American publishing industry in the early republic, I will demonstrate the transatlantic connections that allowed women authors, like Jane Austen, to find their footing in the burgeoning literary market of the early United States of America.
What inspired this topic?
It was inspired by research that I began while working at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, in which I studied the library of the Washington family. This research really challenged what I had read about early American women; traditional historiography maintains that few American women read anything outside of religious literature. But my research exposed that while sources can be scarce, there were wide sections of American women who were interested in much of the same literature as British women, like Jane Austen, in this time. And reading was as much an intellectual activity for early American women as it was for British women of this time period.
What do you enjoy most about Pride and Prejudice?
My favorite thing about Pride and Prejudice is the story of sisterhood that runs throughout it. Like the Bennet sisters, I am one of five daughters, and I think Pride and Prejudice really captures the beautiful and complex relationships one can have with their sisters. I have always adored Lizzy and Jane's relationship.
Film stills from Pride and Prejudice (2005), dir. Joe Wright Pride and Prejudice (1995) dir. Simon Langton
Do you have any favorite scenes from Pride and Prejudice?
I'm not sure I could choose just one! Elizabeth's trip to Lambton and the visits to Pemberley are such a delightful part of the novel. These scenes are such a turning point for both Lizzy and Mr. Darcy. This part of the novel is the calm before the storm, so to speak.
What do you love about Jane Austen and her works?
I love how human Jane Austen's stories are. Austen is a fabulous observer of human character. Her works are a snapshot of a specific moment in time, in a specific part of the world, even a specific social class. At the same time, she captures something so relatable in her stories about relationships, societal pressures, and people's inner lives that even though her stories can seem so small in scope, they each take on a brilliant life of their own that can feel as vibrant and as epic as much more expansive plots by other authors.
Which JASP activity are you most looking forward to and why?
If you've never been to JASP before, the discussion groups are always a highlight. Some of the most interesting discussions I have ever had about Jane Austen and her novels have happened in these groups, and I always walk away with new questions and perspectives of her works.
Why should people attend JASP?
If you love Jane Austen, you'll love JASP. It has a little everything: talks, workshops, a ball, and intimate discussion groups. There's never a dull moment, and there's always a guarantee that you will learn something new.
Do you have any other Jane Austen-related projects and contributions?
I am currently the host and writer of Finding Jane Austen, a new biographical podcast about the life and times of Jane Austen (and a Goodpods Top 100 Books podcast!). The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. You can also find me on social media as @FindingJaneAusten.
Since 2013, our annual, award-winning symposium has attracted lovers of Jane Austen from all walks of life. Attendees spend four days in person with fellow scholars and fans to explore one topic or novel in greater depth for an unforgettable experience. Your donations help keep pricing as low as possible.
