The Jane Austen Festival: Reflections on Intensely Valuing Literature

by Angelica Walker-WerthArt & CultureSep 29, 2025

Every year, over a thousand people descend on Bath, England to celebrate an author who lived and wrote there: Jane Austen. Hosted by the Jane Austen Centre, the ten-day long event includes lectures; theatrical performances; special museum exhibits; costumed promenades; tours; dance, fencing, and sewing workshops; book clubs; balls; trivia games and more. I took part in three days of the festival, and the experience was exhilarating. It also gave me new ways to enjoy Austen’s work and suggested some new questions to reflect on.

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