JASP 2026: Interview with Heather King, JASP Adaptations Panel Chair
- Delicia Johnson
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
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 JASP team interviewee is Heather King. She is the JASP Adaptations Panelist chair and a discussion leader. Heather is also Secretary of the Jane Austen Collaborative board. She is a Professor of English at the University of Redlands.
Which JASP 2026 activities are you most looking forward to?
The ball, of course, but also all the new perspectives I’ll gain from fellow attendees
What do you enjoy most about Pride and Prejudice?
The humor, especially the ridiculous characters, and the serious moral content, including the arc of development for both leads
Film stills from Pride and Prejudice (1995); dir. by Simon Langton
Do you have a favorite Pride and Prejudice character?
For sheer audacity, Lady Catherine is pretty hard to beat.
Do you have any favorite scenes from Pride and Prejudice?
Elizabeth’s confrontation with Lady C, and Elizabeth and Darcy’s post reconciliation conversation, where Austen delivers the “moral of the story” balanced with the giddiness of (finally) reciprocal romantic feeling.
Film stills from Pride and Prejudice (1995); dir. Simon Langton
What do you love about Jane Austen and her works?
The seriousness and the sparkle and the characters who feel like old friends and acquaintances.
Why should people attend JASP 2026?
To be immersed in Austen not merely as fans, but as critically engaged readers thinking together about what Austen might still have to offer is as we navigate a vastly different world.
How does JASP contribute to educating non scholars and the general public about Jane Austen, her works, and the period in which she lived? In your specific JASP role, what goals do you have for further public humanities initiatives/public engagement?
As Discussion Leader and organizer of the adaptation panel, I enjoy the way JASP values the perspectives of all thoughtful readers of Austen. The conference is not built around experts delivering wisdom from on high, instead centering the importance of a wide range of readers exploring the texts together in new contexts and combinations. The context corners, the hands-on workshops and events (including the ball), the attention to material culture and history, and the consideration of myriad retellings offer new ways into the novels whether you’ve read them a thousand times, taught them a hundred times, or have just picked up the novel after memorizing the movie.
Do you have any upcoming Jane Austen-related projects and contributions?
I teach Austen in Adaptation at the University of Redlands.
There is limited space for JASP 2026. Only two spots remain! Don't miss the opportunity to discuss Austen with fellow Janeites from all walks of life.
Pride, Prejudice, and the Pursuit of Happiness will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through a four-day public humanities program 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.