Jane Austen Society of North America, Southwest Region
Welcome
Whether you have just discovered Jane Austen or are a lifelong aficionado, you are welcome at the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and our local region of the society, JASNA Southwest.
Our region is the largest and one of the oldest in the national society. We host four regional meetings annually that feature a wide range of speakers and presentations, offer numerous local reading and game groups, sponsor a Young Filmmakers Contest and maintain a comprehensive guide to Austen Adaptations.
Learn more about the benefits of joining JASNA and JASNA Southwest on our membership page.
We hope you enjoy exploring our site and we hope to see you soon!
Left: Lyme Park stood in for Pemberley in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries.
Upcoming Free Zoom Events
We are pausing our in-person events until it is safe for large groups to meet again in person. In the meantime, join our monthly free Zoom presentations by notable scholars, authors and others with an interest in all things Austen-related!
Sign up for our mailing list for more information. Or visit our YouTube channel to view past presentations.
Upcoming In-Person Events
We are pausing our in-person events until it is safe for large groups to meet again in person. We have moved our events that had to be postponed in 2020 to new dates in 2022. Sign up for our mailing list for more information.
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Mission Inn, Riverside
(a block of rooms will be reserved for those wishing to spend Friday and/or Saturday evening)
Miss Austen Goes to Washington
Our event will explore Regency-era politics as well as Austen’s influence today.
Featured speakers:
Congressman Mark Takano (D-Riverside), former English teacher who launched a Jane Austen reading group on Capitol Hill
Austen scholar Sheryl Craig, author of Jane Austen and the State of the Nation
Saturday, December 3, 2022
The Grand, Long Beach
We originally planned for our event on Regency fashion and footwear to be held at The Grand, followed by dance lessons and an English country dance. We have shifted our two stellar speakers for that event to a virtual meeting to be held on Saturday, June 19, 2021. See more information above.
Please save the date for our new event at The Grand in December 22. Details on the topic and speakers will be announced at a later date.
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Reading, Film and Game Groups
For the upcoming schedule for each of our reading, film and game groups, visit the groups page.
Registration Open for Janet Todd Event on Sept. 12
Registration is now open for our free Zoom event with Austen scholar and novelist Janet Todd, OBE, on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. Pacific time. The topic will be Jane Austen and Shelley in the Garden (also the title of Todd's new book). Todd will be interviewed by...
Video of Sonali Dev Event Available Online
Sonali Dev—author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, Recipe for Persuasion and the newly released Incense and Sensibility—was the featured speaker at our Zoom event on July 17. The video is now available on the JASNA Southwest YouTube channel. She revealed that...
YFC Judges Panel Announced
We are thrilled to announce our incredible panel of judges for our fifth annual Young Filmmakers Contest! The fifth annual JASNA Southwest Young Filmmakers Contest drew a stellar panel of judges, who will be scoring the 5-minute-and-under entries from amateur...
Registration Is Now Open for Sonali Dev Event on July 17
Join us on Saturday, July 17, at 11 a.m. Pacific time for a free Zoom event featuring author Sonali Dev. Registration is now open! Dev is the author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors and Recipe for Persuasion. The latest in her series of Austen-inspired stories...
Costume Design Event Video Now Live
If you missed the June 19 conversation between legendary costume designers Deborah Nadoolman Landis, PhD, and Ellen Mirojnick—or want to revisit the talk or share it with a friend—the video is now live on the JASNA Southwest YouTube channel. Landis, founding director...
The Theatrical Jane Austen Video Now Available
If you missed Prof. Melinda Finberg's talk on "The Theatrical Jane Austen," you can watch it now on the JASNA Southwest YouTube channel. The presentation explored Austen's early exposure to theatre, what theatre was like in Regency England, what Austen would have seen...
Young Filmmakers Contest Featured in Jane Austen’s Regency World
JASNA Southwest's Young Filmmakers Contest is featured in the new issue of Jane Austen's Regency World magazine. Read the story now!
‘Treasures Afoot’ Video Available Now
If you missed Kimberly Alexander's wonderful April 24, 2021, talk on "18th Century Shoes and Their Secret Stories," or want to revisit the presentation or share it with a friend, the video is now live on the JASNA Southwest YouTube channel. The chat is also available....
Aydrea Walden Visits JASNA SW for Instagram Live Event
Aydrea Walden, creator and star of the web series Black Girl in a Big Dress, joined Jillian Davis—co-creator of The Pemberley Podcast—for an Instagram Live chat on March 30 for JASNA Southwest. Video from the event is now available online. Walden shared her love of...
Immerse yourself in an Austen novel, participate in a reading or game group or catch up on the latest JASNA Southwest news.
Explore the benefits of becoming a JASNA and JASNA Southwest member, or join or renew your membership now!
Join other Jane Austen fans from around Southern California by attending one of our regional meetings.
Greet visitors at our Festival of Books booth, organize a new reading group or assist with events and more as a valued volunteer.
Support JASNA’s Southwest region with a tax-deductible donation in any amount. Your gift truly makes a meaningful difference in all we do!
Discover a treasure trove of resources, including our comprehensive guide to film adaptations as well as books Austen herself admired.
Email jasnasw or visit our contact page to direct your query on a specific topic or to a board member. We look forward to hearing from you.
Join Our Mailing List
Sign up today to receive our monthly e-newsletter, event invitations and occasional news, such as free Austen-related film screenings. We never (ever) share your information with anyone. Period.
